VietNamNet Bridge - According to Vietnamese beliefs, girls born in the Year of the Tiger will be unfortunate in love and work, and men who marry women born during this year will die early. This long-standing belief has affected the lives of many women born under this sign of the zodiac. A few "tigers" disclose the benefits and disadvantages of being born in such a year. 
 

Lecturer Ho Thi Kim Quy, 60, deputy head of Hong Bang International University’s fine arts department.

"I am so proud to be born under the sign of the tiger"

Many women born in the year of the tiger try to hide their age. But I am so proud to be born during this year. I’m very confident and I always try to achieve the best results in every thing I do.

Our forefathers often said people who were born in the year of the tiger always have trouble in life. If they are girls, they will have trouble in love and will not get married. This belief has been passed down from generation to generation. So people born in this year must hide their age.

Many of my friends who are the same age have expressed their concern about their year of birth. They believe that their marital life is difficult. I am 60 years old and live with my husband, who was also born in the year of the tiger. I believe that people born under this sign are very successful and have a strong character.

When my mother gave birth to me, she intended to hide my age but my father didn’t agree. I grew up with this age, and nothing unfortunate has happened to me. But now I agree with my mother that a girl born in this year will get married late.

I graduated from university when I was 22, and I had boyfriends. My mother was worried because I wasn’t married at the time. I got married when I was 30.

Fortunately my mother-in-law was also born in the year of tiger, so she sympathises with me. I have a daughter. Before meeting my husband, I had to say good-bye to many people who were obsessed with this preconceived idea or who had been affected by their parents’ beliefs. I have seen many of my peers’ families broken. It is because they don’t know how to build a family. It is not due to their age or year of birth.

At this age, I have recognised that my thoughts about people born in the year of the tiger are 80 per cent true. A girl born in this year has great aspirations. She never likes to be limited in her career or stay in a family. I think this is a virtue. 
 

Freelance journalist Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, 24, who works at the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.

"I hope to have love in the year of the tiger"

I am a girl born in the year of the tiger. They say girls born in the year of the tiger always have trouble in love and like to become leaders of others. But, in my opinion, my life is more unsuccessful than others.

I do not really trust this idea that girls born under the tiger sign always have trouble in love. But many of my friends and sisters remain unmarried. I don’t know why men who love them run like a hare after finding out they are "she-tigers". Young people are casual about this, but the previous generation takes this very seriously.

Until now, I have had no boyfriend. Sometimes I wonder if it is because of my tiger age or if I am ugly. I look at the strong points and the beauty of the tiger because I think the animal is so beautiful, and I try to become beautiful.

I feel very strong at work. I have heard many people say that people born in this year are very decisive and agile in their daily life and at work. I am not very superstitious. Many think that girls born in years of the tiger are pugnacious and stubborn. Tigers are ready to face difficulties. Many people around me are not very happy with the style of a girl like me.

The next Lunar New Year I hope to get better luck in my career, and especially love. When a boy falls in love with me, I will say I was born in the year of the tiger, do you dare love me? 
 

Painter Do Minh Hieu, 36, lecturer at HCM City Fine Art Museum.

"I love the virtue and beauty of the tiger"

I am so happy because I was born in the year of the tiger. Many friends who are the same age and born under this sign are very successful.

People said that girls born in the year of the tiger have a way of talking or communicating with people that is not very clever or flexible, but I don’t think so. An "angry tiger will be very graceful with their partner."

They always have an adventurous spirit in their career, but they are likely to ignore their private life, such as love, for example. I have spoken with many girls of this age, and most of them have the will to try to achieve their goals at any cost.

Many people are likely to be scared of girls born in the years of the tiger, but I don’t care about this. Friends sometimes tease me, encouraging me to marry a girl of the same age to make a tiger family.

This new year will be the year of the tiger, and I will do a painting of a tiger as a way to mark my 36 years. I like the tiger because I think it is very beautiful and it is full of characters. Normally the animal is light-hearted but when hunting it uses almost all of its energy to catch the target.

The belief is that every 12 years when your sign appears, you will be unlucky. But I was not unlucky. I graduated from university and found a good job when I was 24, the 12th year of the cycle. 
 

Nguyen Dung, 36, manager at Golf Resort Cua Lo in Vinh.

"I don’t care about the year in which someone was born."

As a man born in the year of the tiger, I don’t feel uncomfortable. As a businessman, so it is a reward. Thanks to my strong and aggressive nature, I could stand on my own feet when studying and working in a foreign country when I was 18. I came back to Viet Nam two years ago. I believe I was able to do this thanks to my birth year. I like challenges and competition, and enjoy making quick business decisions. I hope next year, the year of my zodiac sign, that my career will become more successful.

I feel bad for girls born in the year of the tiger who are affected by the long-standing belief that they have trouble in love. However, the younger generation does not believe in this idea as much as previous generations. I myself don’t care whether my girlfriend was born in the year of tiger or under another zodiac sign. It’s not important. The most important thing is that we love each other and share our feelings.

VietNamNet/VNS