Vietnam represents a profound tapestry of spiritual depth, where Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism (known as Tam Giao) blend seamlessly with indigenous animism. In this vibrant culture, the boundary between the physical and the spiritual is incredibly thin. Tradition suggests that the Vietnamese people observe approximately 340 distinct superstitions ranging from ancient agricultural taboos to modern business rituals. From the sacred days of Tet (Lunar New Year) to the daily etiquette of chopsticks, these beliefs—often centered on luck (hên) and misfortune (xui)—act as a compass for navigating life’s uncertainties.
Tet Holiday (Lunar New Year) Taboos
Sweeping the House
Never sweep during the first three days of Tet. It symbolizes sweeping away the family’s wealth and luck for the year.
First Footer (Xông Đất)
The first person to enter the home after midnight determines the family’s fortune. Owners invite a person with a compatible zodiac sign.
Buying Salt
“Buying salt at the beginning of the year” brings harmony and strong relationships to the family.
Buying Lime
Conversely, buying lime at the start of the year is avoided because “lime” symbolizes faithlessness or cold relationships.
Breaking Dishes
Shattering glass or ceramic during Tet signals a “break” in the family connection or impending failure.
Black and White Clothing
These colors are associated with funerals. Wear red or yellow for luck and prosperity instead.
Giving Water Away
Water represents wealth (“money flows like water”). Giving it away during Tet is giving away your fortune.
Giving Fire Away
Fire symbolizes the warmth and soul of the home. Lending a lighter or match extinguishes your family’s luck.
Eating Duck
Duck meat is avoided at the start of the month/year because it symbolizes separation and bad luck (tan đàn xẻ nghé).
Eating Shrimp
Shrimp swim backward. Eating them suggests your projects and year will regress rather than advance.
Arguments and Crying
Conflict during Tet sets a tone of discord for the next 12 months. Everyone must remain polite and happy.
Borrowing Money
Borrowing or lending money early in the year invites a cycle of debt and financial instability.
Using Needle and Thread
Sewing during Tet is thought to result in a life of hardship and “patchy” success.
Taking Medicine
Unless critical, avoid medicine on the first day to prevent a year filled with illness.
Standing at the Door
Don’t block the main entrance; it obstructs the flow of positive energy (Qi) entering the home.
Dining and Daily Life
Chopsticks in Rice
Never stick chopsticks vertically into a bowl of rice. It resembles incense sticks offered to the dead.
Tapping the Bowl
Tapping chopsticks against a bowl is what beggars do to ask for food; doing so invites poverty and hungry spirits.
Flipping the Fish
In coastal regions, flipping a whole fish on the plate symbolizes a boat capsizing. Remove the bone to reach the bottom instead.
Shaking Legs
Jiggling your legs while sitting is seen as “shaking away your wealth” and stability.
Cutting Nails at Night
Trimming nails after dark is believed to invite ghosts or shorten your parents’ lifespan.
Haircut Before Exams
Students avoid haircuts before big tests, fearing they will “cut away” all their knowledge.
Eating Squid
“Black as ink” (đen như mực). Eating squid before an important event brings a “dark” or bad outcome.
Balut for Luck
Eating a fertilized duck egg (hột vịt lộn) can reverse bad luck. You must crush the shell afterward to seal the reversal.
Bananas and Exams
Bananas are slippery. Students avoid them to prevent “slipping” (failing) the exam.
Sticky Rice
Eating sticky beans (đậu) is good for students because đậu also means “to pass” in Vietnamese.
Buying Clothes
Avoid buying clothes on the 1st or 15th of the lunar month to avoid wasting money on things you won’t wear.
Comb Breaking
If a comb breaks while brushing hair, it is a fierce omen of bad luck or a breakup.
Sewing on Body
Never sew a button while the shirt is being worn. If you must, hold a thread in your mouth to “trick” the spirits.
Sleeping Direction
Never sleep with your head pointing toward the door; this is the position of a coffin being carried out.
Breaking a Mirror
A shattered mirror brings seven years of misery or a broken marriage.
Spirits and The “Ghost Month”
Ghost Month (July Lunar)
The gates of hell open. People avoid travelling, starting businesses, or weddings during this month.
Whistling at Night
Whistling after sunset is believed to summon wandering ghosts or snakes into the house.
Calling Names at Night
Don’t call someone’s name loudly in the dark; spirits might remember it and haunt them.
Hanging Clothes Outside
Do not leave laundry out overnight. Ghosts may “borrow” them, leaving behind negative energy (âm khí).
Swimming in Ghost Month
Avoid swimming in rivers during the 7th lunar month; spirits may pull your legs (ma da).
Offerings (Cúng Cô Hồn)
Food offered to spirits should not be eaten by the family afterwards, or it should be “snatched” by children for luck.
Moths in the House
A moth (especially a brown one) entering the house is the soul of an ancestor visiting. Do not kill it.
Photos of Three
Avoid taking a photo with three people. The person in the middle is believed to be the first to die or face misfortune.
Picking Up Money
Do not pick up loose change found on the street; it may be an offering to spirits, and taking it invites their debt.
Old Banyan Trees
Ancient banyan trees are homes for spirits. People avoid standing or urinating near them at night.
Business and Wealth
God of Wealth Altar
Shops place the altar of the Earth God and God of Wealth on the floor facing the door to catch money.
Morning Sales (Mở Hàng)
The first customer of the day predicts sales. Shopkeepers may burn paper to “chase away” the bad luck of a difficult first customer.
Number 5 and 7
Business trips are avoided on the 5th, 14th, and 23rd of the lunar month. There is a saying: “Don’t go on the 5th, don’t return on the 3rd.”
Lucky SIM Cards
Phone numbers with 6 (wealth) and 8 (prosperity) are highly valued. Numbers ending in 4 (death) are cheaper.
Spider Falling
A spider falling down its web represents “luck falling from the sky.”
Toilet Location
In Feng Shui, never place a toilet near the altar or the kitchen; it flushes away prosperity.
Beckoning Cat
Like in Japan, the Maneki-neko is ubiquitous in shops to wave in customers.
Folding Money
Some believe keeping a triangularly folded bill in the wallet retains wealth.
Walking Under Ladders
A universal superstition that also holds true in Vietnam: it invites bad luck or halts progress.
Red Items
Keeping something red in your workspace deflects office politics and jealousy.
Animals and Omens
Strange Dog
“Dog brings wealth, Cat brings poverty.” A stray dog entering your house is an omen of riches.
Strange Cat
A stray cat entering the home is bad luck because the sound “meow” resembles the word “nghèo” (poor).
Owl Hooting
An owl hooting near the house is a harbinger of death or sickness for a family member.
Turtle in House
While sacred, a turtle entering the house uninvited can signify a delay in business or heavy burdens.
Gecko Clicking
If a gecko clicks an odd number of times (especially 7), it is good luck. Even numbers may be neutral or bad.
Bird Poop
A bird dropping on your head is considered a sign of impending good luck or money.
White Butterfly
A white butterfly denotes the spirit of a departed loved one bringing luck. Do not chase it.
Dog Howling
A dog howling at “nothing” at night sees ghosts patrolling the area.
Love, Wedding and Family
Age Compatibility
Before marriage, families check the “Four Pillars” of birth to ensure the couple isn’t in a conflicting zodiac triad.
Kim Lau Age
Women should not marry at ages ending in 1, 3, 6, or 8 (calculated by lunar calendar) to avoid disaster.
Gifting Handkerchiefs
Never give a handkerchief to a lover; it symbolizes wiping away tears and predicts a breakup.
Gifting Umbrellas
The word for umbrella sounds like “scattering.” Gifting one implies separation.
Gifting Clocks
A clock counts down time. Giving one suggests wishing for the recipient’s time (life) to end.
Dropping the Ring
Dropping the ring during the wedding ceremony is a terrible omen for the marriage’s longevity.
Bride at the Gate
If the groom’s family passes a funeral on the way to the bride, they must stop or change routes.
Broken Chopsticks
Breaking chopsticks during a meal is often seen as an omen of family discord.
Stepping Over Spouse
A wife should never step over her husband (or his tools); it is considered disrespectful and suppresses his success.
Uneven Candles
On the wedding altar, if one candle burns faster than the other, that spouse is predicted to die first.
Pregnancy and Children
Praising Babies (Trộm Vía)
Never say a baby is “cute” or “chubby” without adding “trộm vía.” Spirits might get jealous and make the baby sick.
Renovations
Pregnant women should avoid hammering or home renovations to prevent fetal malformation.
Attending Funerals
Pregnant women are strictly forbidden from funerals to protect the fetus from “cold spirits” (hơi lạnh).
Stepping Over Rope
Pregnant women avoid stepping over hammocks or ropes, fearing the umbilical cord will wrap around the baby’s neck.
Photos of Pregnancy
Historically, taking photos of pregnant women was taboo, believed to capture the baby’s soul before birth.
Eating from the Pot
Girls who eat directly from the pot will have a wedding day with heavy rain.
Eating Crab
Pregnant women eat crab believing the baby will be ngang (stubborn) like a crab, or conversely, strong.
Miscellaneous and Modern
Gifting Knives
Giving sharp objects severs the friendship. The receiver must give a coin back to “buy” the knife.
Spilling Rice
Spilling uncooked rice is wasteful and offends the Rice God, predicting poverty.
Bag on Floor
Similar to other cultures, putting a purse on the floor lets money “run away.”
Twitching Eyelids
Right eye twitching (for women) is bad luck; left eye twitching is good luck. For men, it is reversed.
Sneezing
If you sneeze once, someone is criticizing you. Twice, someone misses you. Three times, they are in love with you.
Long Noodles
Never cut noodles on a birthday; long noodles symbolize a long life.
Two Doors Aligned
Front and back doors should not align directly, or wealth will enter and leave immediately.
Planting Mulberry
Never plant a mulberry tree in front of the house. The word (dâu) sounds like “mourning” (tang).
Grimacing at Altars
Making ugly faces near a temple or altar risks your face getting stuck that way.
Walking Under Clotheslines
Walking under women’s pants is believed to stunt a man’s growth or intelligence.
Pouring Tea
If a tea stalk stands vertically in your cup, a visitor is coming.
Dreaming of Teeth
Dreaming of teeth falling out signifies a death in the family.
Dreaming of Snakes
Dreaming of a snake usually relates to a woman or pregnancy.
Kitchen God (Ông Táo)
On the 23rd of the last lunar month, release carps so the Kitchen God can ride them to heaven to report on the family.
Sleeping with Wet Hair
This causes chronic headaches or “head wind” (trúng gió) later in life.
Stepping on Books
Books represent knowledge. Stepping or sitting on them is disrespectful and causes stupidity.
Period Blood
Women on their period are often barred from entering temples or pagodas as they are considered “unclean” during that time.
Incense Shapes
If incense ash curls into a circle without falling, it is a very lucky sign from ancestors.
Missing Offering
If a rat or cat eats the food on the altar before the ritual is done, the offering is rejected.
Buying a Car
New cars are often blessed by monks or have a small ritual to ensure road safety.
Picking Up Jewelry
Finding gold or jewelry on the street is actually bad luck; it might be a “trap” to transfer misfortune to you.
Crossing Chopsticks
Leaving chopsticks crossed on the bowl is rude and symbolizes death or conflict.
Bed Under Beam
Sleeping under a structural beam causes pressure, nightmares, and health issues.
Newborns and Mirrors
Avoid letting newborns look in mirrors, or they might get scared of their own soul.
Odd Numbers for Incense
Always burn incense in odd numbers (1, 3, 5). Even numbers are for the spirits of the living (bad omen).
Authorities on Vietnamese Culture & Beliefs
- Vietnam National Administration of Tourism — The official guide to Vietnam’s customs, spirituality, and festivals.
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Vietnam) — Government portal detailing heritage preservation and cultural practices.
- Culture of Vietnam — Wikipedia — Comprehensive overview of ancestor worship, folk religion, and daily customs.
- Tết (Lunar New Year) — Wikipedia — Detailed breakdown of the customs, taboos, and superstitions surrounding the most important holiday.
- Vietnamese Folk Religion — Wikipedia — Insights into the indigenous spiritual practices that form the basis of many superstitions.