North
Before Tet, every family cleans their house so that during the first three days of the new year, the broom will not be touched. According to the concept, sweeping the house means sweeping away all the luck and fortune of the new year. Therefore, no one will sweep the house during the first three days of the new year.
The custom of not throwing trash comes from a story in the Book of the Gods. It is said that there was a merchant who passed by Thanh Thao Lake and was given a maid named Nhu Nguyet by the Water God. He became rich, his house was full of money. That year, on the first day of Tet, Nhu Nguyet made a small mistake, was beaten by her boss and disappeared into the trash. The merchant did not know and took the trash away. From then on, he was as poor as before.
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| Avoid dropping or breaking things during the 3 days of Tet to avoid breakage and bad luck for the whole year. Photo:Traveler. |
Avoid hanging bad pictures like jealousy, lawsuits... but must find pictures of pigs, chickens, boys. Pictures from Dong Ho and Hang Trong villages have good meanings and luck.
On the first day of Tet, do not ask for fire from other people's houses because red fire is lucky. Giving red fire to others on the first day of Tet will bring bad luck to the family for the whole year. Likewise, avoid asking for water on these days.
There is a folk saying “Buy salt at the beginning of the year, buy lime at the end of the year” with many different explanations. First, buying salt is considered to buy saltiness for the whole year. Lime also has an important position in spiritual life, shown through 3 uses: Building houses, chewing betel and spreading it in the 4 corners of the house to ward off evil spirits. There is also another explanation that at the end of the year, lime must be bought to replenish the lime pot.
People with "heavy luck" and who are not compatible with the homeowner's age should not visit the house on the first day of the year. Some families will choose people who are compatible with their family's age to invite to visit the house first. People whose families had a death in the previous year should not visit other families on New Year's Day to avoid bad luck.
Unlucky words like death and sickness are avoided during the first days of the year.
Breaking dishes, arguing, and cursing at each other makes the Tet atmosphere less joyful and disharmonious throughout the year. Abstain from these to be happy all year long.
Central region
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| Duck and dog meat are dishes that should not be touched with chopsticks during the first days of the month and the first days of the year. Photo:Vietnam. |
People in the Central region have a custom of abstaining from eating balut, duck meat, and dog meat during Tet and the first month of the year. People believe that eating duck meat will bring bad luck. Some regions do not eat shrimp for fear of... walking backwards like a shrimp.
On Tet holiday, avoid wearing white or black clothes, but choose bright, beautiful colors for the first days of the new year.
Southern
During Tet, guests can come to the house at any time, and the host will prepare a feast, invite them to drink wine, and eat cakes. Guests cannot refuse the meal, and even if they are full, they must still nibble a little.
No matter how far away you go, you must return home before New Year's Eve. Whoever fails to return on time will have to work hard all year round.
If you lose your broom on Tet holiday, it means that your family will have all their property stolen that year.
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| Northerners avoid sweeping the house during the first three days of the year, while Southerners put away their brooms to avoid having their belongings stolen. Photo:Family. |
