Read more about, Depends on what youre praying for, be it health, wealth, or general fortune for yourself and your family, you will pray to different deities. The Italian culture has many beliefs passed down from generation to generation and even though many of them may seem absurd to an outsider, they are taken more or less seriously by natives! First of all, we do not fill our bowl to the brim with only one big scoop of rice, and it is also frowned upon to plunge chopsticks straight down into the rice bowl. Losing your temper or shouting will bring bad luck for the year. North and South Vietnam have different approaches). There are plenty of strange Italian superstitions, irrational beliefs and practices that all aim to ward off bad luck. While there are many superstitions in Vietnam about what can bring people bad luck like breaking a mirror and seeing a crow or black cat, Vietnamese have an arsenal of ways to get rid of misfortune as well. Vietnamese Buddhist Funeral Customs (49 days). The following are some popular superstitions in Vietnam that can amaze you. Once all clock hands hit number 12, the old year ends, a new one comes, the person is expected to enter the gate of the house, send best wishes to the host, and just remain for a short time. If you wish to learn more about Vietnamese, traditions and customs, check out our previous article, A bowl of rice filled to the brim is said to be for the dead and should not be served to the living. Also, while it is customary for people to visit their friends and relatives during Tt to catch up, those who just lost a family member will refrain from doing so. This is a list of signs believed to bring bad luck according to superstitions. While there are some fortune-telling methods seeming to use logical reasoning in the reading, but most of them are based on no actual scientific proof or solid pieces of evidence. But all in all the best method to cultivate good fortune is to do as many good deeds as you can. #4 means death, #13 means bad luck (buildings rarely have floor 4 & 13 because of this reason), #7 is our lucky number (that's why slot machines' biggest jackpot is if you get 7's in a row), The funeral occurring at a random time and day. 2013-2022 i Tour Vietnam | All Rights Reserved | contact: info@itourvn.com, MUI NE, DA LAT & NHA TRANG (6 DAYS, 5 NIGHTS). Both the paint color as well as furniture inside the house should be compatible with the owners elements. Then you might be a superstitious person. I'm visiting my Vietnamese friend's family and it is very important to know about this, interesting information about the vietnamese culture. Of course, this is nothing more than an old belief. The Vietnamese, especially the young ones, also other kinds of fortune-telling from foreign countries like the horoscope and tarot. The purpose of this study was to begin to explore cultural variations in response to the process of dying and grieving among four Asian American populations--Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Filipino. Therefore, it's bad luck to carry a corpse home. Traditional Vietnamese funerals are multi-day events that last anywhere from one to three days or more. Vietnam has many customs involving superstitious activities. Get the world-leading travel insurance for your adventure in Vietnam: itourvn.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The majority of Buddhists are cremated rather than buried. In fact, folks collect them in a corner of the house so that the shelter is still neat while the luck is saved. You can see more of these irrational beliefs inchopsticks-using manners and gift-giving etiquettes in Vietnam. In Vietnamese culture, religion dictates some of the rituals in the dying and bereavement process. The priest then conducts a. While you should refrain from using your phone for leisure during the service, it is acceptable to take photos and videos during the funeral. My aunt also mentioned the idea that the death of a family member must be shown a great deal of attention and care, so much that it is important for someone to be watching over the casket day and night to guard against evilness and the resurrection of a violent, Earth-bound ghost. Every culture has its superstitions. The main Buddhist customs you may observe at a Vietnamese funeral include: You will find that many of the funeral customs in the Catholic faith overlap with those of Buddhism. Particularly, the first guest visiting the house is believed to bring luck to the host family and this Vietnam superstition has been standing for a very long time. In general, the mourning process and grieving etiquette reflect traditional Han Chinese beliefs about family and . Where there is limited space or for most Vietnamese living in western societies, the family will engage a funeral home to assist with proceedings. You can see more of these irrational beliefs in. It is unclear how this belief came to be and none can actually testify if thats actually the case. That said, as with all other superstitions, there is no scientific evidence for it, so dont let it stop you from capturing shots of memorable moments with your squad. Family members will wash and prepare the body before dressing the deceased in white clothing or semi-formal attire. Keeping an eye on what or who enters the house is also just as important. This superstitions list includes a lot of pretty common false beliefs that many superstitious people will recognize. They are even concerned with who should first set foot in their house on . For example, the, fishermen will remove the bones of the fish after finishing one side of the fish instead of turning it over as they believe this would turn over their boats. This does not impact our reviews as our values are to remain objective. That way, the permanent teeth will grow straight and even, resulting in a beautiful smile. Some people possess good spirits which will bring happiness and good luck to the person they contact. Your birth year is 1996, 9 + 6 = 15 -> 1 + 5 = 6, If you are male: 10 - 6 = 4 then your lucky number is 4, If you are female: 6 + 5 = 12 -> 1 + 2 = 3 then your lucky, Irrational Beliefs in Vietnamese Superstitions. In line with tradition, immediate family members are expected to wear white and adorn matching headbands. If you are able to speak Vietnamese, then some sympathy messages include: If you do not speak Vietnamese, then general condolences will be welcomed by the grieving. Learn more about, For many business owners, whenever they meet a bad customer or their sales are down, they can also just light up a piece of paper and send their bad luck away in the wind with the dark smoke. Dogs are known for their absolute loyalty and love toward their hoomans, and thus their arrival is associated with positive things coming. With many years of experience, she shares about the "range" of Vietnamese . But for Ian Rose the hairy mole is a lucky . If you purchase at an early stage, the child will leave you. Horoscopes are a method of foretelling a persons future based on the position and the movement of stars and planets in the universe and consulting horoscopes is one of the most popular superstitions in Vietnam. In Japan and Korea, for instance, the word for the 4 and the word for death are . However, many feng shui masters have said that 9 is the luckiest number, it represents completion, fulfillment, and achievement. If you are a man, subtract 10 from the final result, and add 5 if you are a woman. Here are what you should know about Vietnamese superstitions so that you can cultivate your own luck too. Sometimes, people can also t va after returning from a funeral to prevent the gloomy aura from clinging onto them. Here are 13 Thai superstitions that locals are familiar with - some of you might even be guilty of using it to scare little kids! Vietnamese funerals have complex rituals, to say the least: gold coins and rice in the deceased person's mouth, finger and toe nails clipped and packaged, and, weirdest of all, a vigilant guard for the coffin so that cats and dogs don't jump over the body and bring the deceased back to life. This clothes are made of very thin gauze textile so the dead person's family wears this clothes over their regular clothes. Burning votive paper. Settle down with a house and a job is an immortal saying of the old Vietnamese. Avoid wearing white or black. In order to get rid of it, it is advised that you should draw a line of salt in front of your door, this will act as a talisman or protective charm that will keep the spirits from entering your home. 1. Still, when it comes to their childrens well-being, its understandable that a lot of parents would rather be safe than sorry. All rights reserved 2012 2023 TheSmartLocal.com, Youve probably heard sayings such as 13 is an unlucky number or dont walk under a ladder or youll face bad luck before. I'll just list a few. Gold coins and rice are placed in the mouth of the deceased during the preparation of the body. Vietnamese people often avoid taking pictures in a group of 3, believing its bad luck Depending on religious beliefs, many of the Vietnamese culture believes that souls live on after death, but especially that a person should die in their home surrounded by his family. As we were readying the food and setting up the table, she asked if I knew any Vietnamese superstitions regarding the New Year, and proceeded to enlighten me. Some people possess good spirits which will bring happiness and good luck to the person they contact. No matter which number you multiply 9 with, the addition of digits in the result of the equation always returns to 9 (for example, 9 x 2 = 18 -> 1 + 8 = 9), symbolizing a complete circle of heaven and earth. Discover some South-East Asian superstitions that our Destination Specialists have come across on their travels. Ideas About Death and Dying in Vietnam. In Vietnamese superstitions, people believe that their house comes with a history and negative or positive energy of their own. One of the most common superstitions is the number four. "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" establishes many traditional beliefs Tibetan Buddhists have . TOP 7 VIETNAMESE SUPERSTITIONS THAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT, 1 - Vietnamese superstitions list: The first caller bringing luck, 2 - Avoiding sweeping the house during Tet holiday, 3 - Top 7 Vietnamese superstitions: Burning ghost money, 4 - Vietnamese superstitions: Burning a bamboo spill for chasing ill luck away, 5 - Top Vietnamese superstitions: Judging home direction before buying, 6 - Top 7 Vietnamese superstitions: Consulting horoscope, In Vietnams daily life, there are a lot of unusual things happening that no one can explain. The Vietnamese hold special dinners to commemorate the 49 th and 100 th days of mourning as well as the first anniversary of their beloved family members' deaths. Speaking of superstitions related to eating, in Vietnam, a lot of students. Your birth year is 1996, 9 + 6 = 15 -> 1 + 5 = 6If you are male: 10 - 6 = 4 then your lucky number is 4If you are female: 6 + 5 = 12 -> 1 + 2 = 3 then your luckynumber is 3. In Vietnam, a death anniversary is viewed as a celebration of life and a festive occasion. However, make sure that the number of incense you use is always odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) when making offerings to ancestors or Buddhist deities. On this joyous occasion, everyone is hopeful that the upcoming year will bring them good fortune. And there are more because every person, with their unique background, occupation, and experience will have their own superstition and ritual related to it. Most Vietnamese have multiple altars in both their home and workplace to worship their ancestors as well as different deities like Buddha, Bodhisattva, Than Tai(Caishen) - God of Wealth, and Phuc Loc Tho - the three Gods of Prosperity, Wealth, and Longevity. It is superstitious that cleaning should be finished before the new year's eve. The Vietnamese believe when you see one that means someone, especially those who are close to you, is going to die. The word for the number 4 sounds much like the word for death. Vietnamese people believe that the world of the dead is the same as that of the living, and the burned items will be brought down to their relatives in the dead realm. The biggest festival of the year in Vietnam, Tt is a time when we bid goodbye to a lunar year and usher in the next. is a time when we bid goodbye to a lunar year and usher in the next. What superstitions do you secretly believe? This includes a picture of the deceased along with flowers, incense, and food offerings (e.g. Anything red. Family members will burn fake items made of paper such as money, iPhones, jewelry, and cars. However, you are best placed to avoid red flowers as this color is reserved for happy occasions such as the new year. There isnt any scientific proof to back up this claim, but its still a story passed down from one generation to the next, especially in rural areas near rivers. People, especially the female, will go to fortune-tellers (thay boi) and see their, Vietnamese Superstitions - Remedies for Bad Luck and Changing One's Fortune, Most Vietnamese have multiple altars in both their home and workplace to worship their ancestors as well as different deities like Buddha, Bodhisattva, Than Tai, (Caishen) - God of Wealth, and Phuc Loc Tho - the three Gods of Prosperity, Wealth, and Longevity. What Flowers are Appropriate for a Vietnamese Funeral? A possible explanation for this belief is that the barking of dogs is often interpreted as gu gu in Vietnamese, which sounds similar to giu giu, where giu means rich. If you are a man, subtract 10 from the final result, and add 5 if you are a woman. Quite silly, actually. Eggs look like the number 0, implying that theyd get a bad score. Most funerals in Vietnam consist of three stages. Burning ghost money is a popular superstitions in Vietnam - Source: phunuvietnam.vn. Although historians are unsure of the origins of the middle person in a photograph of three meeting his maker first, this superstition seems to feature heavily in Asian superstition [source: Jensen]. Thus certain traditions are observed to ward off bad luck. In Vietnamese culture, numbers like 1, 6, 7, 8, 9 are thought of as lucky numbers. It begins with the preparation of the deceased's body that will be on display at the family home until it is time for the funeral. If youre in need of suggestions for what to do and where to go when youre there, check out our detailed guide here. Remember to only eat an odd number of eggs (1, 3, 5) and crush the eggshells when youve finished. What Do You Wear to a Vietnamese Funeral? Flowers, money, or food are commonly shared with grieving families. As such, it is holy and shouldnt be used by mere mortals. Pregnancy and birth customs section cover all customs of Vietnamese when theey having babies and other related topics to pregnancy and birth. However, there are many people who are completely delusional and blindly believe in these things, harming not only themselves but also those around them. One story has it that an American commander always consulted a Vietnamese astrologer before planning the deployment of his troops. Placement of an oil lamp under the coffin during the wake will keep the spirit warm. Nowadays, though, a lot of dentists are recommending that these baby teeth are preserved. Red represents happiness. Today, both dogs and cats are well-loved by thousands of pet owners. Ancestral worship which includes the use of an altar with pictures, incense, and various food offerings is an example of this. Family members will bathe and prepare the deceased in formal clothing. There are two main ways that the Vietnamese decide who will be the first person to set foot in their house on New Year's Eve. 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