Top 15 Fruits and Vegetables Bringing Abundance on Tet

Banana is a familiar fruit to every Vietnamese. In the Northern region, banana is one of the fruits displayed on the Tet tray. Bananas placed on the ancestral altar during Tet are usually ripe but still green. Each bunch of bananas usually has over 20 fruits, evenly curved to 'embrace' other fruits placed within. Families often do not choose ripe bananas or those turning yellow because the heat of the incense can quickly ripen the bananas and cause them to drop.

People often choose banana with intact bunches and still green because the green color represents Wood element, symbolizing a protective hand that brings peace, prosperity, cohesion, and unity. On the Tet tray, the banana bunch also wraps around and supports other fruits.

During the days leading up to Tet, after cleaning and purchasing necessary items, women often choose beautiful money plants to display on the altar or the five-fruit tray. This is not only because this fruit has a distinctive, gentle fragrance that makes everyone feel comfortable but also because money plants have a very good meaning.

According to some cultural experts, since Buddhism was introduced from India to Vietnam, monks have brought along a fruit with a unique, finger-like shape, very special when bent. They believe that this is the symbol of Buddha's hand, embracing and protecting them from evil spirits, bringing luck, convenience, and fulfillment of desires. Because of its special, long-lasting fragrance and spiritual meaning, many Vietnamese people use money plants to display on Buddha's altar, ancestors' altars, hoping to keep the Buddha's spirit, ancestors in the house longer to bless the family with more luck, peace, and warmth. Money plants are often displayed on the five-fruit tray or placed on the altar to burn incense for ancestors. If placed on the five-fruit tray, money plants are usually placed in the center, the highest position on the tray.

According to folklore, a branch of kumquat laden with fruit symbolizes health, peace, longevity, and luck in love. It also represents family harmony and reunion. Kumquat trees with good green leaves and golden fruits signify wealth, abundance, and freshness.

Kumquats are a type of fruit displayed on the five-fruit tray during Tet, symbolizing prosperity, prosperity, and abundant health. The chosen kumquat trees for decoration during Tet are those with good green leaves and even golden fruits, indicating wealth and the promise of a fruitful year ahead. Therefore, when Tet arrives, people often choose kumquat trees to place indoors, hoping to bring joy and luck to the family all year round.

Vietnamese people are among those who love to grow red beetroots because of its bright color that brings a sense of luck. Moreover, red beetroots contain a high level of nutrients that are good for human health.

Red beetroot is one of the top ornamental plants on the market this Tet. Red beetroot holds significant meaning in feng shui. The round shape of the red beetroot symbolizes abundance and fullness. The red color represents warmth, prosperity, and luck. Therefore, red beetroot is an excellent choice for decorating your home space and bringing good things to your family.

Every Lunar New Year, on the ancestral altar of every Vietnamese family from north to south, a tray of five fruits is displayed to pay tribute to ancestors. Among those five fruits, pomelo is particularly important and can be said to be an indispensable fruit when Tet arrives. Pomelo is one of the fruits that is essential for worshiping ancestors during Tet, no matter which region of Vietnam you are in.

The pomelo symbolizes prosperity, abundance, especially the Cát Tường pomelo variety. This seedless pomelo from the Mekong Delta is shaped based on a three-dimensional fruit mold, giving the appearance of the Buddha's hand embracing the fruit in a soft, natural manner, conveying the spiritual meaning of clasping hands in prayer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This type of pomelo looks beautiful and carries significant symbolism when displayed on the tray of five fruits.

Dragon fruit is a plant primarily grown for its fruit and is also the name of several genera of cactus. Dragon fruit is native to Mexico, countries in Central and South America. Nowadays, this plant is also grown in countries in Southeast Asia such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia (especially in western Java); southern China, Taiwan, and some other areas.

Dragon fruit (pitaya) symbolizes prosperity and abundance. Bringing a Dragon fruit plant into the house in the spring brings prosperity, health, and good luck to the family. Dragon fruit is a unique and meaningful gift people give each other when spring comes to convey wishes for safety and well-being.

Symbolizing the convergence of dragon clouds and representing prosperity. It is not only beautiful on the outside but also in its name, as according to folk beliefs if a dragon visits your house at the beginning of the year, you will be lucky and prosperous throughout the year. Dragon fruit is often chosen by many families to display on the ancestral altar because it not only has beautiful colors but also represents the abundance and prosperity of the new year.

It is believed that oranges can bring luck due to their pleasant and pure flavor, as well as the positive energy in the color of oranges that avoids misfortune. Therefore, oranges are widely used in traditional feng shui applications.

In Chinese, 'orange' is pronounced as 'kim,' which means gold. Therefore, having many ripe golden oranges placed in the house at the beginning of the year will bring prosperity and abundant wealth to the homeowners. That's why many families choose to buy orange trees laden with fruits to display in their homes during Tet.

Fruit offerings are an integral part of the traditional Tet celebration in Vietnam. Initially, they symbolize ancestor worship, and later, they express hopes for a more prosperous and secure new year. Each type of fruit placed on the ancestral altar carries its own significance, reflecting the wishes of the household through their names, colors, and arrangement. Just as its name suggests, papaya displayed during Tet signifies the desire for abundance and prosperity in all aspects of life. That's why it's customary to place a papaya on the ancestral altar. Nowadays, there are even papayas carved with auspicious symbols, not only representing abundance but also believed to bring wealth to the household. I find it quite delightful to include them in the fruit offerings as they add to the overall beauty.

Star fruit is chosen to symbolize abundance not only in terms of emotions and health but also in wealth, as its name suggests. People are fond of planting star fruit trees and displaying star fruit during Tet.

In the Tet fruit platter, there's always a bunch of star fruit added. According to folklore, star fruit is a symbolic ornamental plant representing cultural and spiritual abundance and completeness. Therefore, regardless of wealth, every household during Tet will have a peach blossom branch (or apricot blossom) and a plate of fruits consisting of mangoes, coconuts, papayas, mangosteens, and star fruit.

We often see star fruit as one of the indispensable fruits in the Tet fruit platter, and star fruit bonsai trees are also very popular. Star fruit is small and round, growing in clusters with fruits changing color from green when young to red when ripe. Just like its name, star fruit brings abundance and good fortune to the household.

Watermelon with green rind and red flesh brings good luck. The juicy, sweet, round fruit symbolizes abundance and vitality. Currently, golden-fleshed watermelons are also popular because the color gold is considered lucky.

Watermelon is chosen as the offering fruit on Tet day for many reasons. Surely, we all remember the story of Mai An Tiem and the watermelon, right? Watermelon embodies the spirit of self-reliance, resilience, with its green rind and red flesh, reminiscent of our ancestors' determination. It's also a precious fruit offered to the king, so on Tet day, watermelon is offered to ancestors to show respect for the deceased. Watermelon represents family reunion, harboring the sentiments of relatives and family in each sweet flavor.

Watermelon is also a fruit that represents the luck and prosperity of each family on traditional Tet days. Our ancestors believed that the color of watermelon on Tet day somewhat symbolized the prosperity of the homeowner in the new year, it's like the New Year's divination for every family. A fresh, juicy, and sweet red-fleshed watermelon heralds a great year. Conversely, unlucky watermelons are those that have faded colors, less dense flesh, not red, less water, and not sweet. Therefore, choosing watermelon on Tet is one of the important things to prepare carefully in every household.

The fragrant and juicy mango you're eating has many surprising health benefits. It's called the “king of fruits” not only for its delicious taste but also for the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants it contains, which can give you a dreamlike health. Mangoes hold significant feng shui meanings for the New Year.

In Southern pronunciation, it sounds like “xài,” symbolizing the wish for abundant spending without scarcity, a life of prosperity. Green mangoes, rich in vitamin C, cooked in sour soup with freshwater fish (carp, catfish, snakehead fish…) are not only delicious but also have cooling and fatigue-reducing effects in the summer.

Considered one of the auspicious fruit-bearing trees during the Lunar New Year, the round and juicy pomegranate with its captivating red color symbolizes abundance in family happiness and numerous blessings.

The pomegranate tree not only yields delicious fruits but also brings luck and prosperity to homeowners, making it a popular choice for ornamental purposes during the festive seasons. Pomegranate trees, belonging to the small shrub species, can grow up to 3-4 meters tall if planted in the ground for landscaping purposes, with its blossoms ranging in vivid red or white colors depending on the variety.

Typically grown for ornamental, medicinal, and nutritional purposes, pomegranate trees offer a plethora of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. The “secret recipe” for growing pomegranate trees in pots is quite simple; just allocate some time each day for watering, providing sufficient light, and organic fertilizing. With proper care, pomegranate trees will bear fruits throughout the year.

Grapes are vine plants, yet their roots can grow to stand firm on their own, demonstrating agility and harmony in daily life. Grapes often bear many clusters, each comprising multiple small fruits clustered together, symbolizing abundance, prosperity, and year-round abundance.

In feng shui, grapes symbolize the creation of material wealth. Grapes also represent success. Sometimes, grapes are used as feng shui tools to transform hostility into harmony, turning risks into opportunities. This fruit symbolizes wealth, success, and turning risks into opportunities.

Corn is a familiar fruit, especially popular during the New Year. Vietnamese people have a saying, 'As certain as corn,' often applied in all aspects of life with the desire to affirm that future phenomena will definitely achieve results. Folk belief holds that firmly attached corn kernels symbolize perseverance.

Therefore, in recent years, the Tet fruit tray has been supplemented with corn or displayed with a pair of corn pots in front of the house, or boiled corn is eaten on the first day of the year with the hope that the family will be well-fed, abundant, and successful in everything, just like 'eating corn.'

Symbolizing wealth, apples are among the most nutritious fruits, also one of the most popular fruits worldwide. Apples are grown and consumed in nearly all countries, incorporated into various dishes and beverages.

The English have an ancient saying: 'One apple a day keeps the doctor away,' indicating the value of apples in life. But the apple itself is also a prominent and distinctive symbol in iconography. The orchard of apples in the classics is often referred to as the legendary residence of kings and heroes after death. In ancient British folklore, it was where King Arthur hid while waiting for the opportunity to liberate the people of Wales and England from foreign rule. According to many sources, the prophet Merlin preached under an apple tree.