Vietnam

Classical allusion

“Nhớ câu kiến nghĩa bất vi, làm người thế ấy cũng phi anh hùng.”

Translation: Remember the saying: to see what is right and not act, living so, one is no hero at all.

Nguyễn Đình Chiểu · The Tale of Lục Vân Tiên

All (343)Festivals and Tet (118)Beliefs and worship rites (87)Taboos and date selection (26)Ethnic communities (17)Daily life and people (95)

Vietnam articles

Tet and seasonal rites

Choosing an opening day for the Đinh Mùi 2027 Lunar New Year: where the custom comes from and what people weigh up

Where the custom of choosing a Lunar New Year opening day comes from, and what Vietnamese people weigh up when picking a date, preparing offerings and starting business.

Tet and seasonal rites

Li xi: where the word comes from, what the red envelope means, and why the amount is not the point

Li xi is the Vietnamese New Year custom of giving lucky money in red envelopes. This article explains the origin of the term and its true meaning.

Tet and seasonal rites

First-footing for the 2027 Year of the Goat: how to choose an age, and why every household ends up with a different list

A practical guide to choosing a first-footer for Lunar New Year 2027: how to read the trine and six-harmony groups, pick auspicious hours, and prepare at home.

Date and hour selection

Choosing Year-End Dates: Year-End Gathering, Altar Cleaning, Debt Repayment, and New Year Opening

How to choose year-end dates for the year-end gathering, altar cleaning, debt repayment, and business opening: core principles, different schools of thought, and flexible application without superstition.

Tet and seasonal rites

When Is Lunar New Year 2027, the Year of the Goat? Holiday Dates and What the Goat Year Means in the Stem-Branch Calendar

Lunar New Year 2027 falls on Saturday, February 6, 2027. Public employees are expected to get 7 consecutive days off, from February 4 through February 10, 2027.

Ethnic minority customs

Chicken Feet Divination at Tet: The Custom of Predicting Crop Fortune Among Ethnic Minorities

Discover the custom of chicken feet divination during Tet and the new rice ceremony of ethnic minorities, a beautiful spiritual cultural trait linked to hopes for a bountiful harvest.

Life-cycle rites

How to Prepare the Full-Month and First-Birthday Offering Trays for Babies

Detailed guide on preparing offerings and arranging the full-month and first-birthday trays for your baby, including a summary of the prayer and important notes on safety and regional variations.

Tet and seasonal rites

How to Prepare the New Year's Eve Offering Tray (Tet) According to Customs

A detailed guide on preparing offerings, arranging the outdoor and indoor New Year's Eve trays following Vietnamese customs, with safety notes and regional differences.

Life-cycle rites

How to Perform the Groundbreaking Ceremony for Building a House Properly

A detailed guide from preparing offerings, arranging the tray, prayer text to steps for performing the groundbreaking ceremony, with safety notes and respect for local customs.

Life-cycle rites

How to perform a proper opening ceremony offering for shops and companies

A practical step-by-step guide from preparing offerings, arranging the tray to the sequence of rituals for a shop or company opening ceremony, with safety notes.

Tet customs

Choosing a First-Foot Visitor by Age Compatibility: Folk Practice, Common Taboos, and the Limits of That Approach

A practical guide to choosing a first-foot visitor by age compatibility: folk criteria, offerings, step-by-step practice, taboos, and the limits to keep in mind.

Folk belief

Worshipping the God of Wealth on the 10th Day of the First Lunar Month: Origins and How to Prepare the Offering Tray

A detailed guide to worshipping the God of Wealth on the 10th day of the first lunar month: origins, meaning, a checklist of offerings, step-by-step instructions, and a reference prayer.

Folk belief

No Scientific Basis Does Not Mean Worthless: Reading Folk Belief as Cultural Heritage Rather Than as a Truth Claim

Folk belief is not science, but that does not make it worthless. The right way to read it is as cultural heritage, a symbolic language of community.

Life-cycle rites

Death Anniversary Rituals in Vietnamese Culture: Meaning and How to Organize Properly

Explore the profound meaning of death anniversary rituals in Vietnamese culture, and modern organizational principles that preserve tradition while expressing filial piety in a suitable, cozy, and unpretentious manner.

Traditional festivals

Giong Festival (Hanoi) , UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

Discover Giong Festival at Soc Temple and Phu Dong Temple, Hanoi: its origins, unique rituals, historical values, and the journey to become UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Traditional festivals

Hoi Lim: The Largest Quan Ho Festival in the Kinh Bac Region

Hoi Lim is the largest traditional festival of Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk singing, held on the 13th day of the first lunar month annually at Lim Hill, Tien Du, Bac Ninh. In 2025, Hoi Lim was included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

Traditional festivals

The Space of Gong Culture in the Central Highlands - A Heritage of Humanity

Discover the historical depth, artistic values, and rituals of the Space of Gong Culture in the Central Highlands, an intangible heritage honored by UNESCO.

Folk taboos

Folk taboos when opening a business: What you need to know

Explore common folk taboos when opening a business in Vietnam, from choosing auspicious dates, avoiding the ghost month to opening rituals, giving you a balanced view between belief and business reality.

Life-cycle rites

The Grave-Leaving Ceremony (Po Thi) of the Jrai People: A Ritual Farewell to the Deceased

Discover the Grave-Leaving Ceremony (Po Thi) of the Jrai people: a vital ritual bidding farewell to the dead as they journey to the ancestral world, freeing the living from mourning ties. Explore its meaning, rites, and community value.

Life-cycle rites

Pơ Thi (Grave-Leaving Ceremony) and the Art of Tomb Houses of the Gia Rai People

Discover the profound humanistic meaning of the Pơ Thi grave-leaving ceremony, where the Gia Rai bid farewell to the deceased to the world of Yàng, and admire the unique tomb-house sculpture art rich in cultural value.

Ethnic minority customs

The Grain Bin Binding Ritual - A Traditional Cultural Feature of the Nung People

Discover the grain bin binding ritual (le lam dao) of the Nung people in Bac Kan: a unique longevity celebration within the Ky Yen ceremony, expressing filial piety and wishes for long life.

Life-cycle rites

Cap Sac Ceremony of the Dao People: The Most Sacred Coming-of-Age Ritual in a Man's Life

Discover the humanistic significance and distinctive rituals of the Cap Sac ceremony of the Dao Dau Bang people in Lai Chau, a rite marking the sacred transition of men before ancestors, deities, and the community.

Life-cycle rites

Ede people's coming-of-age ceremony: the ritual of removing bronze rings marking adulthood

Discover the Ede people's coming-of-age ceremony in Dak Lak, the sacred ritual of removing kông (bracelets) marking a man's coming of age, along with its regulations and profound cultural significance.

Life-cycle rites

Traditional Southern Khmer Weddings: The Betel Palm Flower Cutting Ceremony and the Hand-Tying Ritual

Explore the traditional Southern Khmer wedding, focusing on the betel palm flower cutting ceremony and hand-tying ritual, along with their spiritual meanings and sacred numbers.