1. Banana
A banana is one of the fruits commonly used on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month due to its convenient shape for arranging other fruits around it, creating an aesthetically pleasing display. Bananas are yellow, symbolizing prosperity and abundance. Particularly, bananas, resembling cupped hands, collect dewdrops that transform into sweetness, providing protection and nurturing.
In its simple and rustic appearance, bananas carry a special spiritual significance, akin to cupped hands receiving good fortune and blessings. They also represent the image of family members gathering together, supporting and embracing one another, welcoming the new year with warmth and unity. Large, beautiful, green bananas also bring hope for a smooth and prosperous year ahead.
Banana, An Essential Element of Tet Fruit Trays
Tet Fruit Tray2. Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit comes in two varieties in Vietnam, white dragon fruit and red dragon fruit. Red dragon fruit is sweeter and slightly more expensive than the other type. The red color of the fruit symbolizes luck and good health. The skin of the dragon fruit has scales resembling dragon scales, which signifies the gathering of cloud dragons, implying smooth sailing for the homeowner.
Dragon fruit (green dragon) is a symbol of prosperity and abundance. Having a Dragon Fruit plant at home during the spring brings prosperity, health, and good luck to the family. Dragon fruit is a unique and meaningful gift exchanged during the Lunar New Year to convey wishes for peace and prosperity. Dragon Fruit is chosen to be displayed on the Tet fruit tray in hopes of bringing luck and prosperity to the family members.
Dragon fruit
Dragon fruit adds significance to the Tet fruit trayEvery year, around the 28th - 29th of the lunar December, after tidying up the ancestral altar, families begin to arrange the tray of five fruits, beautifully decorating it to place on the altar, preparing to welcome the new year. The tray of five fruits on Tet is offered to the ancestors, showing filial piety and wishing for good things in the family. The tray of five fruits also represents the five elements Metal - Wood - Water - Fire - Earth that make up the universe in the Vietnamese belief system and Eastern culture in general.
Among the selected fruits for the tray of five fruits is the Pear. The sweet taste of the pear is unlike other fruits, it is subtly sweet without being overly sugary, with a very delicious crispness. It is precisely because of this sweet taste that pears are often present in the tray of five fruits on Tet to signify a year with few ups and downs, smooth and favorable. The yellow color of the pear symbolizes wealth and prosperity for the homeowner in the new year.
Pear
The pear takes center stage in the Tet fruit platter.Grapefruit, a delightful addition to the Tet fruit ensemble.
The pomelo, a symbol of prosperity and abundance, graces the Tet fruit arrangement.
The auspicious pomelo adorned with symbols of wealth and fortune.
The pomelo, a staple of the Tet fruit platter.Mango, a tropical delight amidst the Tet fruit arrangement.
The serene Bodhi fruit
The Bodhi fruit amidst the five sacred fruitsA ripe papaya hanging gracefully
As Tet approaches, every household sets up the quintessential five-fruit tray on their ancestral altar. Thus, families not only desire a visually appealing and cozy tray but also seek to understand its symbolic significance, conveying their aspirations. Papaya, chosen to grace the Tet altar, carries the wish for prosperity and abundance in Vietnamese culture. Just like its name suggests, ripe papaya on Tet signifies the desire for fulfillment and prosperity in all aspects of life, be it economic or emotional.
The papaya fruit
The papaya fruit in the Tet five-fruit trayThe auspicious Peach fruit
The Peach fruit, symbolic in the five-fruit tray placed on ancestral altars during Tet, representing five blessings: wealth, elegance, longevity, health, and peace. In Vietnamese folklore, these blessings correspond to the five elements: Metal (white), Wood (green), Water (black), Fire (red), and Earth (yellow). Hence, in the northern region, the five-fruit tray often showcases fruits of diverse colors.
The Peach fruit
The chosen Peach fruit adorning the five-fruit trayThe Grape fruit
The Grape fruit is also a symbol of abundance, success, and the transformation of risks into luck. In ancient beliefs, grapes symbolize the creation of material wealth. Grapes also represent success and are sometimes used as feng shui tools to turn adversity into opportunity. In feng shui, grape clusters are used to bring growth, vitality, and prosperity. They are also seen as symbols of abundance, completeness, family gatherings, and reunions. Grapes also represent current or future success. Sometimes, grapes are used as feng shui elements for issues related to childbirth, turning adversity into opportunity. Therefore, Vietnamese people choose grapes as one of the fruits to be placed on the ancestral altar and the five-fruit tray during Tet to wish their families abundant wealth in the new year!
The Grape fruit
The Grape fruit in the Tet five-fruit trayThe Orange, Mandarin, and Kumquat fruits
These three fruits are believed to bring luck due to their pleasant and pure flavors, warding off misfortunes. With eye-catching colors and essences filtered from deep within the earth, the Orange, Mandarin, and Kumquat fruits have been adorning the ancestral altar for generations, symbolizing success and achievement in the new year. They symbolize luck and health, as well as the image of harvest, results, or achievements in work and business. People believe that Oranges, Mandarins, and Kumquats can bring luck due to their pleasant and pure flavors. The colors of these fruits attract positive energy, helping to ward off misfortunes. Therefore, Oranges, Mandarins, and Kumquats are widely used in traditional feng shui applications. Besides being placed on the ancestral altar or the five-fruit tray, you can also display 9 Oranges, Mandarins, and Kumquats in the living room or kitchen to bring luck and prosperity to your family.
The Orange fruit
The Orange and Mandarin fruits in the Tet five-fruit tray
Golden watermelons on Tet day
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