Tet is one of the most important holidays for Vietnamese families. During this time, everyone hopes for joy, good fortune, and avoiding any bad luck. Not only actions and words but even shopping should be done with caution, as our ancestors believed that buying certain items could bring bad luck for the new year.
Related: What else should you avoid doing to attract good fortune for the whole year?
1 Sharp Objects, Sewing Kits, Pestles, and Mortars
In Vietnamese culture, sharp objects and sewing kits are believed to symbolize harm and conflict. Gifting or receiving these items during Tet is considered inauspicious and could bring bad luck for the rest of the year.
Related: Gifting or receiving these items is believed to bring trouble and sadness to the recipient’s family in the new year.
Sharp Objects, Sewing Kits, Pestles, and Mortars
2 Clothing
Vietnamese people avoid buying clothes, especially black and white ones, during Tet. These colors are associated with mourning and sadness. Therefore, people tend to buy new clothes before the new year to avoid shopping for them during the holiday.
Clothing
3 Cats
There’s a popular saying in Vietnam, “A visiting cat brings bad luck, while a visiting dog brings prosperity”. Cats are thus considered unlucky during Tet. Additionally, the sound of a cat’s meow is similar to the word for “poverty,” so Vietnamese people, especially business owners, are wary of receiving cats as gifts or buying them at the beginning of the year.
Cats
4 Watches
Wearing a watch is believed to symbolize the passing of time and could be associated with death. Receiving a watch as a gift or buying one during Tet is considered inauspicious by some people.
Watches
5 Peppercorns
While peppercorns are a common ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine, some people believe that buying them during Tet symbolizes “scattering” or “dispersion”. As a result, many people avoid purchasing peppercorns during the holiday season.
Peppercorns
6 Bananas
Despite being a delicious fruit, bananas are considered unlucky in southern Vietnam due to their similarity to the word “chúi,” which means “to bow down”.
Bananas
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Discover more interesting articles about Tet here:
Avoid these 5 things on the first day of Lunar New Year for a peaceful and prosperous year ahead
On the first day of Tet, our ancestors advised their descendants to refrain from doing certain activities in order to avoid bad luck and seek good fortune for the new year.
