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Why did ancient people advise abstaining from eating duck at the beginning of the year? The consequences of eating duck, many people are unaware of.

Duck meat is a commonly avoided dish at the beginning of the year to the point where duck meat shops are closed at the start of the year.

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14 December, 2023

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In Vietnamese folklore, duck meat is considered unlucky to eat at the beginning of the lunar new year. Duck meat is relatively popular in Vietnam and is considered a nutritious food. However, in the northern and central regions of Vietnam, duck meat is believed to bring negative energy in terms of feng shui.

As a result, many people refuse to eat duck meat on the first day of the lunar month or during the Lunar New Year holiday. In fact, giving duck meat to someone else is considered inauspicious and ill-intentioned.

This dietary restriction has been passed down through generations in Vietnamese culture, not only regarding duck meat but also other foods such as snails, dogs, and balut (duck embryo).

Furthermore, people who engage in business activities often avoid these foods as well.

According to tradition, eating duck meat at the beginning of the lunar new year can bring various misfortunes and hinder the smooth progress of affairs. Perhaps it is because ducks are known to be slow and clumsy, and people do not want to start a new month sluggishly.

Moreover, ducks tend to roam on their own without any order, which symbolizes fragmentation, separation, and lack of unity. This can lead to misfortune and unfortunate separations.

Duck meat also has a strong and unpleasant odor compared to pork or chicken, which can result in bad luck and even attract evil spirits. Additionally, the beginning of the lunar new year is a time for paying respects to ancestors, and cleanliness and pleasant scents are believed to bring good luck. Thus, duck meat is excluded from the menu during the first days of the new year.

Aside from duck meat, many people also avoid consuming the following items on the first day of the lunar month due to superstitions:

Balut: In southern Vietnam and some provinces in central Vietnam, balut is considered unlucky on the first day of the month because the word “balut” sounds similar to “upside down” or “reversed,” which can turn good things into bad things.

Dog meat: The practice of avoiding dog meat on the first day of the month is common in all three regions of Vietnam. Many people believe that eating dog meat on this occasion can bring misfortune to both work and life. As dogs are closely associated with humans, their meat has become less popular over time. Dog meat, like duck meat, has high protein content but also has an unpleasant odor and can cause an uncomfortable feeling of heat in the body. Consuming dog meat can make people easily irritable and hamper a fresh start. The smell of dog meat is also considered unpleasant and unsuitable for ancestral worship.

Cuttlefish: Although cuttlefish is delicious, it attaches black ink sacs to its body. This characteristic symbolism has led to the exclusion of cuttlefish from the list of foods to consume during the first days of the lunar new year.

Shrimp: Shrimp is a nutritious and delicious food often included in banquets. However, their habit of “pooping on their heads” and leaping around gives rise to the belief that eating shrimp at the beginning of the year brings bad luck, setbacks in wealth, and an unlucky business year.

Fermented shrimp paste: Fermented shrimp paste is a popular dipping sauce, but it is not consumed on the first day of the lunar month. The strong and pungent smell of shrimp paste, combined with the belief that it is impure, can disrupt festivities and cause inconvenience.

Durian fruit: Durian fruit has a strong odor, so eating it at the beginning of the lunar month is believed to bring bad luck. Additionally, the name of the fruit does not evoke happiness, so people avoid consuming it during the start of a new month and year.

Avoiding white porridge: White porridge is a common dish used in ancestor worship rituals. Consuming white porridge on the first day of the lunar year is believed to trespass on the domain of wandering spirits and invites disturbances and evil spirits.

Information for reference and personal interpretation.