Title: Đốt vía
General Information about the Item:
- Rituals, Good Luck Ritual
- Language: English
- Country of Origin: Vietnam
- Informant: KL
- Date Collected: October 21, 2021
Informant Data:
KL was born into a family of Vietnamese immigrants in 2001. He initially lived in New York City, but eventually relocated to Burlington, NC to attend high school. He is a junior at Dartmouth College, studying economics
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: Viet business practices and customs are heavily influenced by mythical spirits and beliefs in good/bad chi. Business owners are encouraged to please spirits in order to be profitable in both the short and long term. The influence of these spirits on business practices is not limited to Vietnam’s borders, as Viet immigrants still abide by the rules even within the US.
Social Context:
KL’s mother ran a shop while the family lived in NYC, and abided by business practices that were consistent with her upbringing in Vietnam. As a young boy, KL often helped his mother in the shop, doing handiwork and organizing boxes. KL remembers asking his mother why they partake in the ritual of Đốt vía, and her being quite serious in the explanation of its practice. The last thing a shopkeeper wants is back luck, and this was an essential part of being in the good graces of various spirits.
Item:
Đốt vía refers to a practice of burning a single piece of paper and waving it around the store after the first customer to not purchase anything goes through. This is believed to ward off the supernatural spirits of bad luck in the store, as a customer coming in without purchasing something is a sign of ill fortune. In the United States, laws usually permit only one piece of paper to be burned, but in Vietnam it is common to burn nearly an entire newspaper’s worth of paper.
Associated File:
Informants Comments:
This is widely practiced in Vietnam, and I experience it just about every time I go.
Collector’s Comments:
This ritual seems less practiced in the US due to the safety hazards associated:
Tags/Keywords
Ritual
Vietnamese
Shopkeepers
Vietnam
Burning, Good Luck