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The phrase "môn phải luôn mở và hộ phải luôn đóng" literally means that the main door must always be open, while the back door and doors to other rooms must always be closed.

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9 March, 2024

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Doors are referred to as “môn” and “hộ” in Vietnamese. “Môn” is the front door, while “hộ” refers to the back door or the doors of the bedrooms.

Why should the front door always be open?

The main door should be regularly open because it is the front face of the house and the way to welcome friends and guests into the house.

A family that has continuous guests means that the relationship between the people living in the house and the outside people is very good. Their life and work are going well.

The scene “môn đình nhược thị” (the main door is like a market – implying a busy family welcoming guests) is not something an ordinary family can have. No matter the time period, a family that welcomes guests like this is either prosperous or respected.

According to feng shui, the main door is the place that attracts wealth and fortune. If it is regularly kept open, it will be more beneficial to the homeowner’s financial situation. When another family holds a joyful event, the homeowner can also have a little luck by being friendly and open the door.

Why should “hộ gia đình” (the family) close the door regularly?

For example, the back door, bedroom doors, or other rooms in the house should all be closed regularly. Firstly, everyone wants to have privacy. Secondly, it is to ensure safety. If the back door and other rooms are all open, once a thief or someone with ill intentions discovers it, the valuables in the house may be lost.

According to feng shui beliefs, wealth and fortune enter through the front door. If the back door is open, they will leave directly. Ancient people called it “tán tài”. And no one wants that to happen.

The least mentioned reason comes from the term of “tẩu hậu môn” (go through the back door). It has become an offensive term. It implies a very bad behavior, a bad state of society. In ancient times, when a family organized a funeral, the coffin also went out through the back door. Therefore, if the back door is always open, it has an unlucky meaning. It is only when someone in the house leaves that the back door is opened.

All information in the article is for reference only.

Frequently asked questions

A regularly open front door indicates a good relationship between the household and the outside world. It suggests that the family is sociable and has a positive outlook on life and work. Additionally, from a feng shui perspective, an open front door is believed to attract wealth and bring good luck to the homeowners, especially when neighboring families are celebrating joyful events.

In Vietnamese, the back door and bedroom doors are collectively referred to as “hộ.” It is considered important to keep these doors closed for privacy and safety reasons. From a feng shui perspective, leaving the back door open is believed to allow wealth and fortune to escape. Additionally, in ancient times, the back door was associated with funerals and was considered an inauspicious exit, giving rise to the offensive term “tẩu hậu môn.”

The term “tẩu hậu môn” has negative connotations in Vietnamese culture. In ancient times, when a family organized a funeral, the coffin was taken out through the back door. As a result, the back door was associated with death and bad luck. Using this term to describe someone’s behavior or a societal state implies something highly offensive and undesirable.