“First-foot” custom at beginning of year - a beautiful Vietnamese cultural feature

“First-foot” custom.

According to custom, “first-foot” or “first-footer”, takes place after the moment of New Year’s Eve, when all things have entered a new year. At that moment, all Vietnamese people are full of wishes and aspirations for a lucky, prosperous, and long-lasting year. Since ancient times, our ancestors have believed that the “first-footer” will have an important influence on the luck, happiness, career, and fortune of the whole family in the new year.

Vietnamese people believe that if everything goes smoothly and luckily on the first day of Tet, the whole year will be good and favorable. Hence, the first guest to visit the house in a year is very important. Accordingly, the homeowner will choose a person to perform the “ritual” of entering their house first in the new year, specifically on New Year’s Eve or the morning of the first day of Tet. The person invited to enter the house first in the new year must be of the same age and compatible with the homeowner. That person must also be cheerful, generous, and happy, then the homeowner will always be lucky and prosperous in the new year.

The “first-footer” usually dresses nicely and brings Tet gifts for the homeowner, along with good and meaningful wishes. The homeowner will also welcome the “first-footer” with care and warmth and respond with good wishes and peace in the new year.

There is another way of the “first-foot”, which is for a family member to enter the house first. The family will choose a healthy and happy person in the house. Such person will leave the house before the New Year’s Eve and return home after the New Year’s Eve, bringing the first spring branches of the year, as if bringing good luck all year round to their family.

The custom of the “first-foot” is a beautiful traditional cultural feature of Vietnamese people, with the meaning of strengthening feelings and being kind. The “first-footer” will feel happy to have done a good deed, while the homeowner will be satisfied with the belief that their family will be lucky, peaceful and prosperous throughout the new year.