Anyone going to Vietnam would be wise to bone up on some of the unique customs and superstitions of the country, lest they cause confusion, misunderstandings, hard-feelings, or loss of f
Trang 1Anyone going to Vietnam would be wise to bone up on some of the unique customs and superstitions of the country, lest they cause confusion,
misunderstandings, hard-feelings, or loss of friendship the old saying, "when
in Rome, do as the Romans do" cannot be applied to the letter in Vietnam, but
it is still very important that we respect certain customs and superstitions of the people
Many Vietnamese having extensive contact with Americans have begun to understand American ways and have even adopted some of them for their own use However, there are thousands of ordinary folk whose customs have not changed in generations
Superstitions
There are numerous taboos on all aspects of life in Vietnam, just as we have our omens of bad luck such as walking under a ladder A few of them are as follows:
Don’t express lavish admiration for a new baby, because the devils might hear you and steal the child because of his desirability
When going somewhere on business, avoid seeing a woman first If you do see a woman first as you go out your door or on the way, postpone the trip
Mirrors are often placed on front doors If a dragon tries to get in, he will see his reflection and think that there is already a dragon there and go away
Single bowls of rice and chopsticks should not be served Always place at least two on a table One bowl is for the dead Never let chopsticks touch
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Trang 2others or make unnecessary noise with them Do not place chopsticks in food and leave them there
Do not hand someone a toothpick
Never buy one pillow or mattress pad, always buy two
Do not use relative’s towels
Do not overturn musical instruments, or beat both sides of a drum
simultaneously
Do not cut finger and toenails at night
Going dutch with a Vietnamese is not appreciated If you run into someone at
a restaurant and you join his table, let him pay the whole bill or pay it all yourself The senior person usually pays
Gifts for brides and grooms are usually given in pairs, including blankets A single item indicates the marriage is not expected to last long Two less
expensive items are more desired than one nicer one
Educated people and others who are not in the peasant class do not work with their hands To do so would appear to try to beat a poor peasant out of his job
In addition, it is considered beneath the dignity of refined people
Hats are not usually worn inside churches, even Catholic ones
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