Superstitions Ba Noi Told Me

When I was younger my paternal grandmother lived in the same house as me until I reached middle school. Being in such close proximity with her opened my mind to the wonders of Vietnamese culture and traditions. Through her, I realized how superstitious Vietnamese people can be.  The moment I sneezed, scratched my ear, wore a white headband, etc she would begin her monologues on superstitions. I’m not entirely sure where these superstitions spring up from but they contribute to our colorful identity as Vietnamese people.

1. Sneezing – Doing it once means someone is talking ill about you but twice indicates good things.
2. The size of your toes (mostly the big toe and the one next to it) – If your big toe happens to be longer than your second toe, it means your mother is going to pass away before your father. Ba Noi never signified which foot to go by though…
3. Scratching an earlobe – Whispers about you are being shared.
4. Wearing a white headband – As trendy as you may think this is, it is a scary symbol of oncoming death. Vietnamese Buddhists often wear white headbands after the death of their family member.
5. Accepting a toothpick from a love one – When accepting this tiny piece of wood or any similar form it symbolizes a growing rift between you and the person who gives you the toothpick and vice versa.
6. Not finishing all the rice in your bowl – Each uneaten piece of rice becomes a crater in your Husband’s face.
7. Itchy Feet – When the bottom of your feet itch, it means you are itching to do some traveling.
8. Thickness of Hair – Having a thick head of hair points towards a life of suffering.

These are just to name a few for I am sure there are numerous other things that would call Ba Noi’s attention. I don’t feel that I am a superstitious type of person but it is hard to let go of Ba Noi’s words, especially when stated in such a warning tone. Regardless of whether these superstitions may be true or not, it is just another indication of how tradition and culture is passed down among the generations. Without Ba Noi there to tell me, I would never have known that such superstitions exist.