First-footing (or "stepping on the ground") is a long-standing Vietnamese custom. Ancient beliefs held that if the first person to visit and offer New Year's greetings after midnight was compatible with the homeowner's zodiac sign, the homeowner would experience good fortune and prosperity throughout the year.
Conversely, if the first visitor of the year has a conflicting zodiac sign and experiences many difficulties in life, the homeowner will have bad luck all year. Therefore, during the first period of the new year, many Vietnamese families attach great importance to the custom of first-footing.
What is the significance of the custom of "first visitor" (xông đất)?
According to Vietnamese beliefs, Tet Nguyen Dan (Lunar New Year) is a time for family reunions, and for deities and ancestors to return to celebrate and bless their descendants. After the New Year's Eve countdown, the first person to enter the house, accompanied by good wishes, is considered crucial to the homeowner's luck for the entire year.
The act of "first-footing" essentially brings new bioenergy not only to people but also to the land where it originates. When this energy arrives at the moment of the New Year's Eve transition, the reciprocation and reception are even more complete and effective.
The custom of "first visitor" on New Year's Day may vary in style and form from place to place, but the essence remains the same. The time for the first visitor is calculated from the moment the clock strikes midnight on the new day. Depending on the family, the first visitor may occur naturally or with preparation. In the case of a pre-arranged first visitor, they are the first guest to arrive on the morning of the first day of Tet (Lunar New Year), and their age must be compatible with the homeowner and the animal representing that year.
The homeowner will welcome them warmly and enthusiastically, receiving good wishes for their family. In the past, those who came to "first-foot" the house would often bring meaningful gifts for the homeowner, symbolizing good luck, such as candy, cakes, couplets, etc. However, adapting to the development of society, nowadays those who come to "first-foot" the house will bring red envelopes containing money to give to the homeowner and family members as a New Year's gift.
The monetary value of the red envelope doesn't need to be high. When giving a red envelope as a New Year's gift, the guest should include their best wishes. If the family has elderly parents, wishes like "a long and happy life together," or "increased blessings and longevity." If the host is a businessperson, wishes like "good luck in business," or "successful business."
Meeting the children, wishing them "good health and rapid growth," "success in their studies," etc. Afterwards, the host also gives lucky money, wishes the first visitor good fortune, then invites the guest to enjoy tea, raise a glass of wine to celebrate the New Year, and chat about good things to come in the new year.
The person chosen by the homeowner to be the first visitor of the year is usually someone cheerful, carefree, honest, and pleasant-looking. Importantly, this person's family should not be in mourning and should have many children, both sons and daughters. When visiting the homeowner's house, they should only talk about happy things and good fortune. They should avoid discussing sad stories from the past year and refrain from mentioning past events.
Overall, the number of families who proactively ask someone to be the first visitor of the year is lower than those who let this custom happen naturally. In cases where the first visitor arrives naturally, the homeowner is not too strict; anyone who accidentally comes to be the first visitor of the year is warmly welcomed and wished good luck and well-being. However, in reality, if the whole year goes smoothly, there's no problem. But if the homeowner experiences business failures, bad luck, or setbacks in life and work, some families will blame the first visitor of the year for bringing misfortune.
Things to avoid when having someone be the first to enter your house on New Year's Day.
Many elders say that the custom of having someone be the first person to enter a house on New Year's Day is to pray for good fortune and blessings for the family. Therefore, certain taboos must be observed during this ritual to ensure the meaning of the first person's visit is fully realized.
- When visiting someone's home for the first time in the new year, avoid wearing black or dark-colored clothing. Instead, wear brightly colored outfits such as red, pink, yellow, or green, symbolizing a bright and prosperous start to the new year in all aspects.
- If there has been a death in the family or if the family has experienced illness or misfortune in the past year, they should avoid visiting someone else's house early in the morning to be the first visitor, as it may displease the homeowner. People whose zodiac signs are incompatible with or conflict with the homeowner should also avoid being the first visitor. Nowadays, as society develops, many customs have changed to adapt.
- When visiting someone's home on New Year's Day, avoid recounting old stories or sad events.
- Women and children should not be the first to enter someone's house on New Year's Day unless they are personally invited by the host. When visiting to offer New Year's greetings, the order should be that men enter first, followed by women and children.
- There are certain incompatible zodiac signs that the homeowner and guests should be aware of to avoid:
The zodiac signs to avoid in the six-conflict cycle include Tiger-Monkey, Rat-Horse, Dragon-Dog, Rabbit-Rooster, Ox-Goat, and Snake-Pig.
Avoid the three main combinations: first combination: Tiger-Snake-Monkey; second combination: Ox-Dog-Goat; third combination: Rabbit-Rat.
The custom of first-footing in many rural areas has become more relaxed, no longer placing as much emphasis on the age or gender of the first visitor as before. Nowadays, families consider the first-footing a blessing from heaven, so they simply follow the natural course of things without preparing a specific person. Anyone who comes to the house to be the first visitor of the year is considered to bring good luck to the homeowner, and everyone is happy. In fact, the homeowner or a family member can completely be the first visitor to their own house.
A lucky and successful New Year depends greatly on the willpower, personal belief, and efforts of the homeowner and family members in implementing their plans and goals. A smooth start will bring good results, as long as we keep trying and never give up.
Source: https://baodaknong.vn/xong-dat-ngay-tet-co-truyen-phong-tuc-y-nghia-va-nhung-luu-y-241538.html
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