Things Vietnamese Avoid Doing in Traditional Tet Holiday

According to the conception of Vietnamese, if we have much luck in the New Year's Days, we will be lucky in the whole year and vice versa. From this idea, for many years, there have been a lot of things you should not do in the new year’s days. Followings are the taboos in the new year you should know and avoid.

Things Vietnamese Avoid Doing in Traditional Tet Holiday

Sweeping the floor

Before Tat, families in Vietnam clean and tidy their house, so on New Year's Day, there is no need of further cleanup. In the first days of the year, the families avoid sweeping the floor due to the concept that if people sweep the floor at Tat, they also sweep the luck and fortune from your house.

Emptying the rubbish in the 1st day of Tat

This custom comes from a story of the Chinese people. The story tells that there was a merchant awarded a young concubine named Nhu Nguyet by the Water- nymph. Since he had this maid, he suddenly became rich. One year, on the first day of the New Year, Nhu Nguyet made mistake, the boss angry, beaten, taunted her badly; therefore, Nhu Nguyen felt unhappy and turned into a garbage dump. The Merchant did not this, so he emptied the garbage. From then, he sank back into poverty. Derived from this anecdote, Vietnam people also think that emptying the garbage in the 1st day of Tat also makes houses master run out of the fortune.

Giving others fire of your house

Fire symbolizes red, fortune and warmth, so in the New Year, everyone is taboo to give fire to others.

Giving water to others

Water is one of the elements of the universe, so Vietnam people thing that, water symbolizes the birth and growth "Money runs to your house as much as water flow". The image of the full tank of water symbolizes luck, reproduce, cool.

Breaking utensils

Vietnam people conceive that breaking toiletries such as dishes, cups, mirrors in the New Year signalize the separation, breaking up; therefore, people avoid breaking thing in the houses.

Wearing black, white clothes

With Vietnam people, black and white symbolize mourning, so in New Year's Days, they usually avoid wearing black or white clothing. During Tat, people often wear colorful clothes to look forward to a lucky, happy new year.

Borrowing, loaning money and things

In the new year, people avoid lending, borrowing, collecting the debt or repaying debt. This custom comes from the concept that, if people borrow money in the new year, they will be needy and straightened all year, and if people lend others money, their money will be dispersed and therefore the owners will not be fortunate and prosperous.

Departing or starting business on the 5th of lunar January

The 5th of lunar January is considered an unlucky day, so Vietnamese people often avoid starting new things on this day. There has been a folk saying "On the fifth, the fourteenth, and the twenty-third, traders starting new businesses will certainly lose their capital", so the Vietnamese believe that the 5th is not appropriate for the spring traveling and praying for luck.

Organizing funerals on the 1st day

A first day of the year is the happy and sacred day of everyone, so families having funerals will lay by the mourning headbands for three days. If a family has a person passing away right on the first day, the landlord will not deliver the morning headband to the relatives; instead, this will be done on the 2nd, even if a person in the family died on 30th December (the last day of the old year), the landlord usually organize the funeral within that day. Families having funerals avoid visiting others’ house and exchanging wishes.

Eating unlucky food

In New Year's Day, Vietnamese people do not eat dishes such as duck, carp, dog meat because of the concept that they are not good food for the New Year.

Quarreling

In the New Year, people often try to keep the peace, they do not argue despite how uncomfortable they feel. Adults avoid yelling children, children avoid cry to keep the peace and happiness for the new year.

Washing clothes on the 1st and the 2nd

According to folk beliefs, the first two days of the year are the birthday of the Water- nymph, so people avoid washing clothes in order not to desecrate the God leading to bad luck. In fact, the ancients did not have many clothes to wash, New Year's Day was an opportunity to rest, and the weather was, the two-day not cleaning clothes did not affect them too much.

Also see : Things to Do in Vietnam
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