TET (an occasion during the first days of the year) is an expression used to denote “THE NEW YEAR” of Vietnamese people according to Lunar Calendar. According to many Vietnamese people, what happening during TET decides all happening during that year. It means, the first days with a lot of luck and happiness will bring everyone a happy, lucky and successful year. Therefore, so as to prevent the bad things, Vietnamese people always try to avoid some taboo things listed as follow:
1. Funeral
The first day of the year is considered to be a time when all people in a country contribute for the happiness of the whole nation. Therefore, if any families unluckily have someone who passes away, they should not organize a funeral. However, they should prepare everything already to hold a funeral on the second day of the year. To families whose member has died in the previous year, they should not visit any other families to avoid bringing the bad things to them. In contrast, other families will visit the family who are in mourning to console and help ease their pain of losing their family member.
2. Sweeping house
According to people in the past, sweeping the floor of the house on the first days of the year is to sweep out all the good fortune, which is supposed to leads a poor year. Besides, it is believed that if people collect the rubbish in the house and throw them, the God of Wealth will leave the house. Therefore, it is common that people sweep the floor of the house, but not bring the rubbish out of the house on TET. And members of the family normally tidy up their house and put the furniture in order cleanly on the last days of the year to welcome the New Year.
3. Talk
The speech spoken on the first days of the year is said to affect what happens all the year. Therefore, instead of mentioning unlucky words, people are advised to talk to everyone by pleasant and happy words to bring joyfulness to not only themselves but also other people.
4. Dishes
On TET occasion, there are many dishes that Vietnamese people avoid eating. For instance, duck meat should not be eaten on the first month of the year because eating duck is mentioned to be a thing that will bring the bad luck. Besides, in some areas, people do not eat “shrimp” to avoid moving backwards like shrimp. Moreover, it is also people’ opinion that eating shrimp on TET is a sign of a slow, not developed year.
- Costumes
People prefer colorful clothes to white ones on TET. People keep off white clothes because white is believed to be the color of funeral and death. Therefore, costumes in red, pink and green are used commonly on TET, These colors will bring people a lot of happiness and joyfulness.
- Water and fire
Red fire has the meaning of the luck that a family will have in the next months of that year. Therefore, people are advised to refuse to give fire when being asked for fire. Giving fire to others on TET will bring the bad luck for a family like loss-making, internal frictions, having unlucky things when going out. Similarly, people also avoid asking other people for fire. In addition, people should not give water to others, according to a folk speech with the meaning that money will go into people’s pocket like water. Giving water to others is supposed to lead to the loss of good fortune.
- First-foot
Being the first New Year’s caller of a house on the first day of the year is a long-standing habit of Vietnamese. If the age of the first caller on New Year’s Day is suitable with a family, or he or she is a person who is always in luck in his or her life, that family will meet with good fortune in the New Year. Therefore, people whose age is not suitable with the master of the house should not be the first caller on New Year’s Day. Similarly, people who are in mourning should not be also the first New Year’s caller to avoid bringing unfortunate things to others.
- Breaking things
In ancestors’ opinion, breaking things is supposed to be a sign of separation and sorrow. It is a bad omen for every family in the New Year. Therefore, people are advised to be careful with furniture in their house so that there will be no quarrels or sad news happening in that year.
9. Borrowing money
During the first days of the year, if people borrow money, they will have a year with a poor finance. Therefore, people do not often borrow money from others on TET.
Every ethnic and area has its own customs and habits; but the things mentioned above are the most common forbidden ones that Vietnamese people avoid during the first days of the year to have a happy and successful year.
How about customs in your countries in the New Year? Let share with us and send to our email: elticenter.hiep@gmail.com
By ELTiCenter
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