Vietnamese knowledge, page 8

Life-cycle rites

The "ngu mai" (communal sleeping) custom in courtship and marriage of the Tho people in Nghe An

The "ngu mai" custom of the Tho people in Nghe An lets young men and women talk overnight at festivals, strictly governed by customary law before marriage.

Ethnic minority customs

The Custom of Black Teeth Staining and Unique Cultural Traits of the Lu People

Explore the custom of black teeth staining, once a beauty standard of the Lu people in Lai Chau, along with other unique cultural values being preserved.

Folk belief

Household Worship of Táo Quân: The Kitchen God's Everyday Role

Beyond the 23rd-of-Chạp send-off, Táo Quân watches over the hearth and household year-round. Explore the Kitchen God's everyday role and altar practice.

Tet customs

The First-Foot Custom at Lunar New Year: Origins, How Old Vietnamese Chose the First Visitor, and How the Custom Is Changing

First-footing is an old Vietnamese Tet custom: the first person to enter a home after midnight is believed to carry the year's fortune.

Traditional food

The Culture of Ruou Can in the Festival Life of the Central Highlands People

Ruou can in the festival life of the E De and other Central Highlands groups: an offering to deities and a bond of community solidarity.

Folk taboos

Why Southerners Avoid Bananas on Tet: The Mekong Delta's Five-Fruit Tray

In the Mekong Delta, bananas are avoided on Tet because 'chuoi' sounds like 'chui', or to plunge. The five-fruit tray instead follows 'Cau Vua Du Xai'.

Traditional festivals

Tac Xinh Dance: The San Chay People's Ritual for Bountiful Harvests

Tac Xinh is the San Chay (Cao Lan) people's dance for the Harvest Prayer Festival, mimicking the whole swidden farming cycle from clearing fields to harvest.

Physiognomy

Face Mole Map in Vietnamese Folk Belief and Where Variants Disagree

A compilation of Vietnamese folk beliefs about facial moles in physiognomy, analyzing the meaning of each area and pointing out where folk variants disagree.

Folk taboos

How to Calculate Hoang Ốc for House-Building: the Six Positions Explained

The Hoang Ốc count used before building a house in Vietnam: the six positions and why the digit-sum shortcut gives the same answer.

Glossary

What is Hoang Ốc?

Hoang Ốc is a Vietnamese folk taboo checked before building a house, sorting lunar age into six positions, three of which are considered unfavourable.

Glossary

What is Kim Lâu?

Kim Lâu is a Vietnamese folk taboo checked before building a house or marrying, found by dividing lunar age by nine, with remainders of 1, 3, 6 or 8.

Glossary

What is Tam Tai?

Tam Tai is a three-year cycle in Vietnamese folk belief, determined by the trine of your birth-year animal, recurring once every twelve years.

Glossary

What is Vietnamese lunar age?

Tuổi mụ is the Vietnamese lunar way of counting age: current year minus birth year, plus one, and folk calculations use this number.

Glossary

What is Đạo Mẫu?

Đạo Mẫu is an indigenous Vietnamese folk belief. It worships Holy Mothers and female deities who govern the universe through the Four Palaces system.

Glossary

What is Hầu đồng?

Hầu đồng, also called lên đồng or hầu bóng, is the central ritual of Mother Goddess worship in Vietnam, where a medium incarnates the Four Palaces spirits.

Glossary

What is Ông Công Ông Táo?

Ong Cong Ong Tao is the folk term for the three Kitchen Gods, Tao Quan, who watch over household affairs and report to the Jade Emperor.

Glossary

What is Tứ Bất Tử?

Tu Bat Tu is the collective name for four immortal saints in Vietnamese folk belief: Tan Vien Son Thanh, Saint Giong, Chu Dong Tu, and Holy Mother Lieu Hanh.

Traditional food

What Makes Vietnamese Traditional Cuisine Distinctive Across Regions?

An overview of Vietnamese traditional cuisine by region: Tet dishes, ancestral trays, festivals, vegetarian food and local specialties, with cultural context.

Historical figures

Ky Yen Festival at Thoai Ngoc Hau Communal House in An Giang: A Cultural Beauty Commemorating the Pioneer

The Ky Yen festival at Thoai Ngoc Hau communal house in An Giang honors the Nguyen dynasty mandarin who dug the Vinh Te Canal.

Traditional festivals

What Types of Traditional Festivals Are There in Vietnam?

An overview of traditional Vietnamese festivals: agricultural, religious, commemorative, and ethnic festivals. Classification, meaning, and cultural value.

Vietnamese commemorative days

Reunification Day April 30: Historical Significance

April 30, 1975 marks the moment liberation tanks crashed through the gates of Independence Palace, ending 30 years of war and 21 years of division.

Life-cycle rites

What Are the Life-Cycle Rituals of Vietnamese People?

Vietnamese life-cycle rituals mark birth, coming of age, marriage, death and remembrance, with ceremonies shared by many ethnic groups.

Regions

Comparing Lunar New Year Customs Across Northern, Central, and Southern Vietnam

Tet customs in Northern, Central, and Southern Vietnam share roots but differ in dishes and rituals, from banh chung to bitter melon soup.

Folk belief

What Does Vietnamese Folk Belief Encompass?

Vietnamese folk belief includes ancestor worship, deity worship, Mother Goddess religion, agricultural beliefs, and rituals of many ethnic groups.