The site continues to talk about the strangest and most unusual traditions different countries . We have already talked about:

The culture and customs of another country often seem to us, if not wild, then strange. And when we wrote about Japanese traditions, it seemed that there was nothing more surprising and could not be. But as it turned out, Southeast Asia is even more full of exotic and incomprehensible traditions than Japan. Those interested in traveling to Vietnam will experience these exotic oddities to the fullest. Which of course will make your impressions of travel in vietnam unforgettable.

1. road traffic

To get to know the country, of course, it is best to travel "savage", and many guidebooks advise planning travel in vietnam consider renting a moped and travel in vietnam"their course." However, you should be aware that main reason The spoiled holiday for tourists in Vietnam is not food, not tropical diseases and not snakes - these are traffic accidents.

There are few cars in Vietnam, but there are a lot of mopeds. Major intersections are regulated by police or traffic lights, but compliance with the rules does not seem to be mandatory - those who are in a hurry can easily drive onto the sidewalk. Most intersections are not regulated at all. However, the Vietnamese are a little embarrassed - pedestrians, in order to cross the street, simply continue to move at their normal speed, allowing mopeds to go around them as it is convenient for them. Shopping is also done without getting off the moped - just drive up to the shop, ask, for example, for shampoo and the seller will bring it. And it should be noted that many tourists quickly got used to and traveling in vietnam Been doing the same for a few days now.

2. Betel and tobacco

Traveling in Vietnam You will meet people everywhere who smoke local strong tobacco (thuoc lao), or chew betel. For example, male peasants always carry a pipe with them, which they smoke while planting rice, to brighten up this monotonous activity.

The habit of chewing betel, a chewy herbal mixture, or betel nuts, has been known to the Vietnamese since antiquity. Old medical books claim that chewing betel and betel nut makes the breath fragrant, relieves negative emotions and promotes digestion of food. Betel makes people become friendly and open.

Betel occupies an important place in rituals - in particular, in any wedding ceremony there should be dishes with betel and betel nuts.

3. Vietnamese wedding

Before the wedding, the groom's mother brings pink chalk and betel nuts to the bride's house. Pink chalk symbolizes a bright future. Betel is a way of showing respect to the groom and his family. Only after this ceremony, the groom and his family can go to the bride's house.

The last night before the wedding is very important. The mother of the bride combs her daughter's hair with numerous combs. Each comb has its own meaning. The third one is the most important. When using it, the mother asks for a happy future for her daughter.

Beauty is sometimes a really terrible force!

4. Beauty is a terrible force

All over the world, women, and indeed many men, are trying to whiten their teeth, because white teeth are the standard of beauty. What about radically black teeth? Women in a Vietnamese tribe put black polish on their teeth to look attractive. The lacquer is made from the ashes of burnt coconut shells and resin. But this is done not only for beauty - white teeth are considered here as a sign of demons, wild animals and savages, and a cultured and educated woman should not be like any of the above. It's hard to argue with that.

5. Names

It is not uncommon for children in Vietnam to be named in the order in which they were born. The eldest is called the Big, then the Second, the Third, and so on follow.

When one of the family members is about to die, the whole family comes to him and the elder offers him to take a new name, since it is believed that a person should not go to another world with the name that he bore during his lifetime. The most commonly used names (in translation) for men are Loyalty, Honesty, for women - Devotion, Harmony.

6. All Vietnamese are brothers

According to legend, the ancestors of the Vietnamese people were a dragon lord and an immortal princess. Therefore, all Vietnamese are related to each other.

Vietnamese wedding

7. The Bird of Happiness

On the streets you can often see sellers with birds in cages. However, they are not sold as pets, but for religious purposes. Buddhists buy birds to release, crediting themselves with another good deed. So that, traveling in vietnam, you will also have the opportunity to do a good deed.

8. Who gets up early...

Most Vietnamese wake up at 5:30, many do gymnastics or go to the market. Work begins at 7-7:30. The lunch break is more like a siesta. It starts at 11, the Vietnamese go home to dine with their families, rest until half past one at the hottest time of the day. The working day ends at half past five.

9. Nuok mom is the head of everything

Used in almost every Vietnamese dish, nuoc mam is a sauce made from salted fish.

10. Ant eggs

Kitchen South-East Asia deserves a separate book and more than one. Traveling through Vietnam and Cambodia, you will meet a huge variety of delicacies such as scorpions, beetles, grasshoppers, frogs ... But even in this series, white ant eggs seem to be a particularly strange food. However, when they taste, for example in soup, they are surprisingly good. Eggs are soft, gently burst on the teeth and have a sour taste.

If, after reading these strange Vietnamese traditions, you have the impression that Vietnam is a wild country, then this is a mistake. Vietnam is developing rapidly, and the Vietnamese are well acquainted with Western culture and tolerant of tourists. So if you are going to travel in vietnam you will find a mixture of modern and traditional here, and you will surely enjoy it.

Most strange traditions Vietnam TOP-10!

Each country has its own customs and traditions. And what, in the opinion of a European, seems to be an insignificant trifle, somewhere in an eastern country can become strange or even offensive. Today's Vietnam is diligently integrating into modern world society, but for the majority of the population great value have their own traditions and values. Here they try to observe centuries-old customs, often the way of life remains unchanged. Foreigners should be aware of Vietnamese etiquette. After all, if we even visit close people, we always try to maintain the rules adopted by hospitable hosts.

What are they, Vietnamese

In a few words, they are calm, good-natured and smiling. At first, the inhabitants of the Indochinese peninsula may seem somewhat indifferent and indifferent. The reason lies in the upbringing and the traditional mentality. What is worth just talking when the Vietnamese tries not to look you in the eye. The point here is a certain shyness, and in instilling respect for elders in position or age.

The difference of cultures is already felt in speech. Europeans are more emotional and open. And often joy or grief is manifested in our face. The Vietnamese will smile and nod even if they refuse someone's request. And also affectionately agree, but at the same time, without doing anything, if they made a promise under some pressure. The word "no" is unloved here. And if the question must be answered in the negative, and the European will do it without a shadow of embarrassment, then the Vietnamese, due to a sense of tact and delicacy, can offer to return to this issue next time.

The words of Comrade Sukhov "The East is a delicate matter!" in Vietnam are manifested in all their glory. The inhabitants of the Indochinese peninsula show miracles of discipline and endurance even in disputes. Heated discussions between the Vietnamese are not accepted, and hot foreign guys who are busy fighting or arguing are looked upon with disapproval. A smile on the face of an Eastern person can appear not only out of politeness. But as a sign of awkwardness or anxiety. And even as a result of misunderstanding or skepticism.

True, these rules do not apply to the sphere of trade. Local market entrepreneurs raise the price several times, while often smiling affectionately. They do not like to bargain and can afford unflattering treatment. The attitude towards tourists is often consumerist. What can you do, the country is just entering normal market relations and trade is somewhat reminiscent of the Russian market of the 90s. Therefore, before shopping, it is advisable to find out the average prices for the desired goods. If the seller offers to pay twice as much, you can bargain, and if 3-4 times, then you should not even start a conversation.

Greetings

The Vietnamese are friendly people, but any touch to themselves is intolerable for them and akin to an insult. According to local beliefs, the human soul lives in the head, do not disturb it once again. The shoulders are the home of the patron spirit, so it is difficult for locals to understand the traditional Russian hugs and pats on the shoulder when they meet. If you do not want to be considered a barbarian in this Asian country, keep the personal space of its inhabitants. And having inadvertently touched the shoulder, now deliberately perform the same action with another, so as not to frighten off fleeting luck.

But European influence penetrates into this ancient land. And today the Vietnamese no longer consider it superfluous to shake hands with friends and partners. At the same time, a phrase is also used, something like our “How are you?”. As for greeting women, the etiquette instilled here is similar to European ones. The lady should be the first to extend her hand. If such an action was not followed, this does not mean that you are being ignored. Many Vietnamese women avoid hand contact. They are more accustomed to a slight bow with joined palms to chest levels.

Call me softly by my name...

But do not forget to insert the words "Mr" and "Madam" before this. The Vietnamese are extremely sensitive to the manner of address. Even a good friend should first be asked if it is possible to address him by name. With a positive answer, you do not need to do this in front of strangers, and even in a personal conversation, do not forget about courtesy and about the “master-lady”. Otherwise, such familiarity will be regarded as disrespect or some degree of closeness between you.

Vietnamese people usually prefer to give the palm when meeting their foreign counterpart. And only then, at your request, a person can give his name and position. The Vietnamese speak quietly, and when getting to know each other, they may not make eye contact.

Representative people, invested with power, in the country are called in the Western manner according to their specialty or position, for example, "Mr. Doctor" or "Madam Teacher."

The appeal "comrade" is still alive. After all, the Communist Party of Vietnam is still considered the leading and guiding force in the country, although socialism here has a certain capitalist and glamorous touch.

Ivanov, Petrov, Sidorov in Vietnamese

These are one of the most used surnames in Russia. Vietnam also boasts of this. Here, 90 percent of the population has the 14 most common surnames. They alone have Nguyen almost a third of all residents, 11% Chan and 9% Li.

The name of a Vietnamese can consist of 3-4 parts:

1. Father's surnames. Often they are similar to imperial surnames. Today in the country, most of the inhabitants bear the surname of the last ruling Nguyen dynasty. The General Secretary of the Communist Party is also called Nguyen Phu Trong.
2. middle name. Nowadays, it shows that these people belong to the same generation (for example, brothers and sisters). Previously, the middle name indicated the gender of a person. For women, it was one for all - Thi. Men had much more choice.
3. personal name. It is the word that is often used to refer to a particular person. Personal names traditionally mean something. When choosing a name for a child, parents express their desire to see the girl as skilled, beautiful, polite, and their son strong, smart, and so on.

The surnames of the Vietnamese are not as common and significant as ours. And even in a business environment, the inhabitants of the country address each other by name. And what to do if almost half of the country has the same last name. Imagine that only Ivanovs work for your company?

In the old days, and even today, somewhere in the outback, children are given secret names that only the closest know.

This was done in the hope of protecting their child from evil spirits that could harm the child by learning such a secret code to the essence of man. For all the rest, without further ado, the children were called in order: the First son, the Second, and so on.

Signs and superstitions

The whole life of the Vietnamese is accompanied by a mass of various superstitions and signs. And at the same time, almost 80 percent of the population considers themselves atheists, but successfully combines this with various rituals. For example, many are sure that if a black cat jumps over the deceased, he will rise. Before you smile at such superstitions, remember if you didn’t spit on the sly when you met the same unfortunate cat and didn’t knock on a piece of wood, afraid to jinx the good news.

Among such prohibitions and superstitions in Vietnam there are the following:

• Photographed together - unfortunately.
• Whistle at night - a snake will crawl.
• Crawl between someone's legs - make him dumb.
• Meet the funeral - you will be happy.
• Present one gift to the newlyweds - for a quick divorce. The way will be better cheaper, but two pieces.

In Vietnam, you can't pat children on the head. It is believed that in this way the child will be deprived of protection from evil entities. Don't praise kids. If somewhere in another country the relatives of the child will only be happy with such attention, then in Vietnam this is unacceptable. Suddenly, the same dark forces again find out about such a valuable child and want to kidnap him.

Some subtleties

A few more rules to follow in this country. Here you can not leave chopsticks in a plate and touch them with a neighbor. Well, this is something from the category of the fact that during the feast we do not fight with spoons. It is customary to pay for food in a restaurant and cafe to someone who is higher in status. And a Vietnamese guy will never offer his girlfriend to pay half the bill, someone else pays.

Upon entering the house, shoes are left at the doorstep. The houses are very clean, and no one steals your sandals. They enter barefoot and into temples, and into some shops. In addition, visiting the pagoda requires women to cover their shoulders and knees, and men must wear trousers, not shorts. You can often see mirrors on the front doors of houses from the side of the street. It's not about women touching up the makeup they barely put on. Mirrors are here for local dragons. If such a monster wants to get into the house, he will come to the door, and he will see his reflection. He will understand with his dragon head that there is already someone like him in the house and will go away. I wonder if such mirrors save from uninvited guests?

Some tourists like to show off their erudition during trips and learn a few common phrases. But in Vietnam this is undesirable.

Vietnamese is quite difficult. There are six tones in colloquial speech, and the mispronunciation of some harmless word can turn it into an obscenity or an insult. And here you should not make a loud noise and show your emotions in public in every possible way, so as not to be considered a rude foreigner. Be careful with gestures. Any wave to attract attention is considered uncivilized. It would be correct to extend your hand with your palm down. If the palm looks up, according to local etiquette, such a person clearly demonstrates his disdain and superiority over others.

Culture of Vietnam- this is an unusual mixture of cultures of different peoples and nationalities, a mixture different religions. Throughout its existence, Vietnam has been ruled by different peoples, each of which has left its legacy in the cultural fund of the country.

The rich culture of Vietnam It is, first of all, the handicraft skills of local residents. Vietnam has long been known for its unique handicraft achievements.

Each province of the country is famous for its craft. For example, districts Ha Dog, Goue and Thai Binh famous for their elaborately embroidered silks; Hanoi, haiphong are famous for their exquisite ceramics and porcelain, glazed and hand-painted; central Vietnam famous for its copper craftsmen.

Works of masters lacquer miniature Vietnam known all over the world. And among tourists, wicker rattan souvenirs are very popular. Visiting rural settlements in the districts of large cities, you can find unique items made by artisans for every taste. You can also order the manufacture of any souvenir.

Since ancient times, all over the world have been very popular mass submissions, but in few countries there is such a variety of genres of these performances as in Vietnam.

Stage culture of Vietnam includes: water puppet theater on the water, popular opera - cheo, theater opera- tuong, modern opera - kai luong and many other genres. One of the most popular stage genres in Vietnam is puppet theater.

This type of theater appeared in the 11th century, all puppets are created exclusively by hand, most often from wood, less often from other, necessarily natural, materials.

Puppet plays pass on the water surface of the lake under live music. This unique performance attracts thousands of spectators. And the unique combination of fiery reflections of lamps, the peaceful surface of the lake, smoke, shadows and live music remains in the memory of the audience for a long time.

The most grandiose performances of puppets on the water are held in the largest cities of Vietnam - Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. There are also cartoon films among the pride of Vietnam, and although they, of course, are far from Japanese anime but also very, very good. Hanoi even hosts anime cosplays.

Musical culture of Vietnam It has long history of its development. Since ancient times, the Vietnamese have given special preference to this particular type of art, which explains the wide variety of musical genres and instruments.

Of particular importance in musical life Vietnamese has gong. It is considered a sacred instrument, since it is the gongs that are used in various religious rituals and sacraments. Another interesting Vietnamese instrument is Dan Bau.

This instrument sounds especially attractive if it is used in the performance of love songs, so vigilant parents protected their daughters from the sound of this instrument: "do not listen to this music if you are a young woman ...".

Architectural culture of Vietnam also deserves close attention. Of particular admiration are various religious buildings in the country: from numerous pagodas to grandiose cathedrals.

One of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam is Agoda Thien Mu, this pagoda consists of seven floors and is dedicated to the Buddha. The One-Column Pagoda located in Hanoi is known all over the world.

This small graceful structure was erected in 1049 and resembles a small opening lotus flower. Hanoi Cathedral Cathedral of Saint Joseph- an interesting example of Vietnamese architecture. The peculiarity of the Cathedral of St. Joseph is that it almost identically repeats the design of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Characteristics of the culture of Vietnam would not be complete without mentioning the numerous festivals passing through the country.

The most famous festivals of the country: Thang Tam Temple Festival, Ba Hua Hu Festival, Ox Racing Festival, Traditional Bullfighting, Wrestling Festival - Doi, Marble Mountain Festival - Kwan, Le Mat Snake Festival.

The official language in the country is Vietnamese. Residents also communicate in Chinese, English, Russian and French. In some parts of Vietnam, there are settlements that communicate in Lao and Khmer dialects.

Religion

The territory of Vietnam is influenced by several religious movements: Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism. And although Buddhism is the official religion, statues of several local patron spirits (Confucius, Bodhisattva and Buddha) are also installed in many village temples.

The Vietnamese are sure that the spirits of their ancestors live with them, protecting them and warning them of imminent danger.

Behavioral Features

The Vietnamese are very friendly people. They are thrifty, patient, disciplined and respectful to their elders. They consider sincerity to be the main quality of a person.

The Vietnamese try not to say their name out loud. In their opinion, the name of a person reflects his essence, which protects from evil forces. Careless pronunciation of a name can jinx a person, bring illness and failure on him. Keep this in mind when dealing with locals.

It is not customary to praise children. Often outside the home, parents call their children "first son" or "first daughter" in order to avoid pronunciation of the name.

During a conversation, you can’t get close to the interlocutor, or touch his shoulder or head with your hands - this can disturb the soul of a person and bring trouble to him.

A slight bow to the interlocutor serves as a greeting.

Showing courtesy, the Vietnamese never look into the eyes of the interlocutor. Refusal in conversation is expressed in the form of soft denial. For example, "Let's postpone this question until next time."

Help in Buddhism can only be provided if it is asked for. So, for example, if a person is drowning, but does not shout “Help”, then it is impossible to save him. The best you can do is offer a helping hand. However, it is not always accepted.

When shopping in shops and markets, do not forget to bargain. Only in this way you can buy the desired item at the lowest price.

Holidays

The main national holidays are:

Having absorbed the traditions of centuries of history and the trends of modernity, the culture of Vietnam demonstrates an excellent example of synthesis that allows the country to take its rightful place in the current dynamic world, while remaining original, not absorbed by globalization processes. The features of this culture will be very interesting for inquisitive travelers.

The original culture of Vietnam

By my roots vietnam culture goes to the very depths of its long history. The La Viet traditions closely merged with elements of Han culture, and in the south there was a very significant Khmer influence. In new and latest historical times strongly influenced by the European culture and Marxist ideology.

Religion in Vietnam

In this socialist state, most of the population adheres to atheistic views. Religion in Vietnam is a mixture of Buddhists (about 10%) and Catholic Christians (almost 7%). There are other beliefs, but they are very few in number.

Economy of Vietnam

Modern is heavily influenced by the state. Despite the reforms forced by the communists after the crisis of the 1980s and the disappearance of most of the socialist countries, market relations are not present in all spheres of life, there are noticeable distortions in the development of certain sectors of the national economy. Nonetheless, Vietnam is experiencing some economic growth, which is facilitated by changes in the international trade environment.

Science of Vietnam

The modern one is quite well known in the world scientific community. This is medicine, where Vietnamese scientists firmly occupy a leading position in the field of studying the effect of dioxin on humans, and state-supported research and development in the field of nanotechnology, and applied fields of knowledge.

Art of Vietnam

The most attractive for travelers is. Majestic temples, beautiful examples of folk crafts, national music and choreography side by side with modern architecture theater, literature.

Vietnamese cuisine

It is best known for its wide range of condiments, the most famous of which is Phu Quoc fish sauce. Geography of Vietnam seriously affected the diet of its inhabitants. There are three national cuisines in the country!

Customs and traditions of Vietnam

With their wealth and diversity, they can give odds to many more populated countries.

Sports of Vietnam

Modern can be safely called folk. Almost every inhabitant of this interesting country addicted to some kind of athletic activities. In 2007, Vietnam was one of the countries hosting the Asian Football Championship.