Lunar New Year is the biggest and most important holiday of the year for Vietnamese people. During these days, people believe that they need to pay attention and avoid many things to avoid bad luck and wish for good luck throughout the year.
Professor Tu Thi Loan - Chairwoman of the Science and Training Council, Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts - said that although there has been no scientific research on the accuracy of these customs, they must be reasonable for people to believe in and follow them for decades.
"Folk wisdom has been accumulated over many generations. Customs and taboos themselves must be reasonable to exist and be followed by everyone. If it were unreasonable or inconvenient, people would have abandoned it a long time ago," the professor affirmed.
According to Professor Tu Thi Loan, the correct taboos that have been refined and tested over time are symbols of the nation's fine customs. By following these, each person will have peace of mind, and from there everything will be smooth and lucky.
The professor shared that his own family still follows and believes in taboos such as avoiding sweeping the house, cutting hair... on the first day of the year. In addition, according to folk customs, people should pay attention not to do the following things to have a lucky and favorable year:
Avoid breaking things
Breaking objects such as mirrors, dishes, and teapots in the first days of the year is considered a sign of separation, loss, and bad luck. Therefore, you need to be careful when using these objects to avoid unwanted incidents.
Avoid saying unlucky things
Words spoken during the first days of the year are believed to influence the fortune of the entire year. Therefore, avoid saying negative, unlucky things, instead, say good wishes, good luck, a joyful, open attitude, a smiling, happy face.
This not only helps you have a positive attitude but also makes people around you feel comfortable and at ease.
Avoid leaving food behind.
One of the taboos during Tet is to avoid leaving leftover food. According to folk beliefs, this can bring bad omens such as hunger, crop failure, financial difficulties... throughout the year.
Besides, many families doing business also avoid putting chopsticks on bowls to avoid work delays and business losses.
Avoid borrowing money
Borrowing or lending money during the first days of the year is believed to bring bad luck, causing financial difficulties and unfavorable business throughout the year. Therefore, borrowing activities should be avoided during this time.
Avoid fire and water
According to folk beliefs, fire symbolizes luck and warmth, while water is likened to the flow of wealth in the family. Therefore, Vietnamese people often avoid fire and water on the first days of the year to maintain abundance, prosperity and avoid loss of money throughout the year.
Avoid wearing black and white clothes.
During the first days of the year, you should avoid wearing black or white clothes because these colors are associated with bad luck, mourning, and misfortune.
Instead, you should prioritize choosing outfits with bright, cheerful colors, especially red and yellow. Red symbolizes luck and happiness, while yellow symbolizes prosperity and wealth.
Avoid closing the door on the first day of the month.
According to folk belief, leaving the door open on Tet, especially the first day, means welcoming the gods and fortune.
In feng shui, the main door is considered the entrance to good energy. If the door is closed on Tet holiday, it is disrespectful to the gods and prevents the god of wealth from visiting, causing the family to face difficulties and shortages throughout the year.
