Definition

1. Noun:
   • A ritual flag: A small flag, often made of paper or cloth, used in certain Vietnamese folk religious or spiritual rituals, particularly those related to "vía" (vital spirit, soul, or luck).
   • A ceremonial banner: It is used as an object in worship or rituals intended to summon, honor, or influence the spiritual essence ("vía") of a person or deity.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Người ta cắm một lá cờ vía trước cửa nhà để cầu bình an. (People plant a cờ vía in front of the house to pray for peace.)
  • Trong nghi lễ, thầy cúng cầm lá cờ vía để gọi vía về. (In the ritual, the shaman holds the cờ vía to call the vital spirit back.)

Advanced Usage

• "Làm cờ vía": To perform a ritual involving the , often to restore someone's lost vitality or luck.
  • Bà ngoại đi làm cờ vía cho cháu vì cháu hay khóc đêm. (The grandmother went to perform a cờ vía ritual for her grandchild because the child often cried at night.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cúng vía (verb phrase): To worship or make offerings to the vital spirit.
• Gọi vía (verb phrase): To call back the vital spirit (a common purpose of rituals using ).

Synonyms

• Cờ thần: Spirit flag (a more general term).
• Phướn: A long, narrow ritual banner used in temples; contextually related but different in form and specific use.

Notes on Meaning

• The concept of "cờ vía" is deeply tied to Vietnamese folk beliefs about "vía" (vital spirit), which is thought to govern a person's health, fortune, and vitality. The flag is a ritual tool, not a decorative or national flag.
• The term is specific to cultural and spiritual contexts and is not commonly used in everyday modern conversation outside of these contexts.