- With regard to beliefs: The idea of “ăn lấy lộc, lấy khước” (eating for good fortune) is widespread in the population. Dishes that are eaten for good fortune here refer to those offered to the Buddha and gods as votive offerings in pagodas, temples and communal houses. It is said to be good for one’s health to eat votive dishes. Therefore, such votive offerings are often distributed to everyone to enjoy. On the first and fifteenth days of every lunar month, all those who go to the pagoda service will abstain from food which is believed to offend or blemish Buddha and gods, including dog meat, shrimp sauce, garlic.
The belief is also spread among the common people that eating food the image of which easily inspires a bad thought in one’s mind will lead a person to negative consequences. For instance, children of school-age should not eat chicken legs to avoid having bad hand-writing, or burned rice that lies at the bottom of a pot to avoid getting bad results, or steamed glutinous rice mixed with black beans to avoid failing their exams.