The 15 Best Fruits to Display in the Five-Fruit Tray for Tết

The mango symbolizes a desire for abundance and indulgence in the new year. It is a popular and essential item in the Tết Five-Fruit Tray. In the southern dialect, the mango is also called 'xài,' which represents dreams of financial abundance, with no fear of shortages. Paired with the other fruits, the mango brings hopes for a prosperous and joyful year ahead, with plenty of wealth to spend freely on daily life.

Spring is the season of abundant blossoms and vibrant growth, representing nature's vitality. With its fresh green color, the green banana symbolizes a new spring full of good fortune and blessings, according to the beliefs of the northern people. Moreover, the shape of the green banana resembles an open hand, as if it is receiving the essence of heaven and earth, offering protection and warmth for the family. For this sacred meaning, the green banana is an essential fruit in the Five-Fruit Tray during spring in Northern Vietnam.

In Chinese pronunciation, the word 'quất' sounds similar to 'cát' in 'cát tường' (prosperity), which is why kumquat is considered an ideal fruit for the Tết Five-Fruit Tray. With its auspicious meaning, kumquat brings a year filled with good events and desired luck for the homeowner. For business families, it is believed that this fruit can bring prosperity, success, and great fortune throughout the year.

Buddha's Hand, with its two auspicious features—the shape resembling the Buddha's hand and its bright golden color—has become a key fruit in the Tết Five-Fruit Tray. Because of its resemblance to the Buddha's hand, it is believed that offering this fruit on the altar brings blessings and wealth from the heavens. Additionally, in Asian culture, the color yellow is associated with luck, prosperity, and good fortune, making it a highly favored symbol during the spring season. For these reasons, Buddha's Hand holds an important place in the Five-Fruit Tray during Tết in Northern Vietnam.

Due to its meaningful name, the fig is a beloved and sought-after fruit during the Lunar New Year. Shaped like small round balls, the figs grow in clusters, symbolizing unity and abundance. It is believed that this fruit brings both material and spiritual prosperity to the homeowner, along with family unity and togetherness. Additionally, the fresh green color of the fig promises a vibrant and prosperous new beginning for everyone.

Grapefruit is one of the most commonly seen fruits in the Five-Fruit Tray of families across the country. It is typically placed in the center and highest position of the tray. With its round, plump shape, the grapefruit symbolizes prosperity and completeness in life, especially at the beginning of the new year. For this reason, every family prioritizes the selection of grapefruit to adorn and offer to the heavens and ancestors during Tết celebrations.

The name 'Dragon Fruit' already carries all the elements of good fortune, making it a popular choice for the Five-Fruit Tray during Tết. With its beautiful shape resembling the tail of a dragon — a sacred and legendary creature in Eastern spiritual culture — 'dragon fruit' symbolizes the image of a dragon soaring to the heavens, merging with the clouds and the sky. This auspicious fruit brings a prosperous and blessed start to each family. Additionally, its striking red color combined with vibrant green adds an elegant touch to the fruit tray, making it even more exquisite and visually appealing.

Pomegranate is not only visually beautiful with its sweet and delicious taste, but it is also deeply symbolic. With its many seeds, each bright and sweet, the pomegranate is seen as a symbol of fertility and the hope for abundant offspring. Its vibrant red color and long-lasting freshness make it a popular choice for the Five-Fruit Tray, as people believe it brings prosperity and growth to the family.

In feng shui, grapes symbolize the creation of wealth and abundance. They also represent success and prosperity. Grapes are sometimes used as a tool for transforming bad luck into good fortune, turning misfortune into favorable circumstances. Displaying grapes on the Five-Fruit Tray not only enhances the beauty of the arrangement but also adds elegance with their attractive color and small, round shape. The presence of grapes makes the tray look more refined and luxurious.

Watermelon, with its green rind and red flesh, is believed to bring good luck. The juicy, round fruit symbolizes abundance and vitality. Recently, yellow-fleshed watermelon has also become popular, as yellow is considered a lucky color. When selecting a watermelon, you can tap its body—if the sound is deep and solid, it indicates the fruit is fresh and sweet. Look for a smooth, glossy skin and a slight indentation at the bottom, which signifies a ripe and flavorful watermelon.

In the South, it's called Khóm, while in the North, it's referred to as Thơm. Displaying this fruit during the Lunar New Year symbolizes the arrival of good fortune, a pleasant fragrance, and prosperity for the entire family. The fresh, vibrant shoots that bloom from the pineapple signify growth and success in business, as well as a wish for many descendants to fill the household.

Today, with such a wide variety of delicious and nutritious fruits, people seek to honor their ancestors in the most respectful way possible, while also expressing their unique aesthetic tastes. As a result, the traditional fruit tray, or 'mâm ngũ quả', has become more diverse than ever. While the term 'five fruits' remains common, the number of fruits in the tray may be more, including eight, nine, or ten. One fruit commonly displayed in the North is the orange. With its bright and harmonious color, the round shape makes it easy to arrange. Oranges are especially valued for their yellow color, symbolizing wealth and prosperity.

In Southern folklore, every family traditionally prepares a 'mâm ngũ quả', representing the desire for prosperity with the phrase 'Cầu, dừa, đủ, xoài' at the beginning of the new year. According to this symbolic play on words, the cherimoya fruit is an essential element, symbolizing the hope and wish for good fortune and wealth to come to the family. Typically, cherimoya is a common fruit with an affordable price, but just before the Lunar New Year, families eagerly seek this fruit to display in their fruit trays, causing prices to rise rapidly. Its naturally sweet-tart flavor is also used in the South to make a popular preserve, loved by many. When purchasing cherimoya, it's best to choose one with fresh, smooth skin, a pale yellow color, and large, soft eyes with a good distance between them.

For people in the South, it's not about having excessive ambitions in the new year, but rather seeking peace and contentment, valuing a full stomach and warmth in everyday life. With this mindset, the coconut is an essential fruit for the traditional fruit tray during Tet in Southern provinces. People typically choose round, heavy coconuts, particularly the 'fire coconut' — a variety with a golden or reddish-brown shell — to display during the holiday season. Moreover, during the New Year's Eve offerings, the people of the South also favor coconuts as sacred items to honor the heavens and ancestors. Afterward, the coconut water is shared among family members to receive blessings of health and peace from the gods, as per the traditional beliefs passed down through generations.

The name of the papaya itself embodies the meaning of 'sufficiency' that many families hope for — enough money, enough health, enough good fortune. By including this blessed fruit in the fruit tray, families are assured of a prosperous life, free from material shortages throughout the year. Due to its name, papaya has long been a staple in traditional offerings during the Lunar New Year celebrations. This fruit symbolizes the desire for both material and spiritual abundance, ensuring well-being and completeness for everyone as the New Year begins.