Foods to avoid
Dishes to avoid during Tet because they mean separation, poverty or bad luck. Instead, people prioritize food that symbolizes prosperity, wealth, longevity and success in the new year.
Some dishes are taboo in China due to their pronunciation that evokes unfortunate associations, such as pears or persimmons.
Color also carries symbolic meaning. Red is the main color of Tet, symbolizing luck and joy, while white is associated with mourning. Therefore, white dishes such as cold mixed tofu are often avoided. However, dark-colored tofu dishes such as Sichuan tofu, braised tofu or fried tofu stuffed with meat are still accepted.
Fish is an indispensable dish but during Tet meals. Fish is kept in part to pray for fortune and luck to last until next year.
Words to avoid
Language is said to have significant power, especially at the beginning of the new year. Therefore, some words and phrases are avoided during this occasion.
Directly negative words such as death, illness, pain, and evil are considered taboo. Related concepts such as emptiness, loss, and scarcity are also often avoided in conversation.
The number 4 is often overlooked, because the pronunciation is very similar to the word "dead" in Chinese.
When mentioning the deceased, people often say "they have passed away" instead of directly mentioning the word death.
The word "sách" is considered sensitive because in Chinese it pronounces it similarly to the word "mất".
Items to avoid buying
Giving gifts is an important part of the Lunar New Year tradition, but not all gifts are considered suitable and lucky.
Wristwatches and wallwatches are extremely taboo gifts because "giving watches" in Chinese sounds like attending someone's funeral.
Sharp objects such as knives or scissors should also be avoided because they symbolize breaking relationships.
Shoes are also considered an inappropriate gift because the word "shoes" in Chinese sounds like "evil" or "bad luck".
A more common tradition is to hang the word Phuc, which means "blessings" or "good luck", downwards during the Lunar New Year, symbolizing "good luck has come".
