Superstitious beliefs and practices are common among many people who practice some form of animism. As many of the peoples of Vietnam practice ancestor worship and pay homage to spirits of all kinds, they perform superstitious rituals that have been passed down through generations.
Common superstitions among Vietnamese people concern babies and young children. One such superstition causes people to place silver bracelets or anklets on their babies from the time of birth in order to protect the child from wind and sun. Some Vietnamese people might also say that the silver protects children from poison winds. Parents believe that these silver bracelets or anklets are so important that they will continue to purchase new ones as their children grow out of them. Sometimes youth and adults will also wear silver chains, believing they bring about good health.
Though a less frequent practice in present day Vietnam, some parents still carry on the old superstition of giving their babies “ugly” names in order to protect them from evil spirits. They think that if the child has an ugly name, spirits will be tricked into thinking the baby is ugly and will be less likely to take the baby from them.
Many peoples’ lives in Vietnam revolve around superstitions such as these. As ancestor worship and animism continue to play major parts in Vietnamese religious culture, the peoples of Vietnam fall further into darkness and superstitious fear.
Join us in praying for the peoples of Vietnam. Ask God to bring them from darkness to light. Pray that they will know Jesus as Lord and Savior and will no longer be in bondage to fear.