How Many Bananas Should You Buy for Tet Offering?
Bananas are one of the essential fruits for Tet offering in many Vietnamese households. Therefore, from the 26th and 27th day of the lunar month onward, green bananas are widely available for people to choose from.
For Tet offering, bananas should be chosen when they are large, evenly green, and not ripe. Although ripe bananas may have a beautiful yellow color, they spoil quickly and cannot be offered throughout the entire Tet week.
In the northern region, banana clusters symbolize family unity, warmth, and togetherness. The upward-facing banana clusters resemble hands reaching for the sun and rain, nurturing sweet fruits with the meanings of luck, protection, and care.
In addition, the number of bananas is one of the criteria that many people consider when choosing bananas for Tet offering. Bunches with an odd number of bananas are the most desired because they often have higher prices compared to those with an even number. During Tet, bunches with odd numbers like 15, 17, 19, 21… can be significantly more expensive, and bunches with more bananas and odd numbers tend to be even more expensive.
Explaining why bunches with odd numbers are preferred, Mr. T.S., a feng shui expert named Nguyen Ngoan, said that even numbers are considered negative, while odd numbers represent growth and vitality. Therefore, bunches with odd numbers of bananas are often sold at higher prices than those with even numbers.
“For offering, it is believed to be better to avoid even numbers. Offering three sticks of incense represents Heaven, Earth, and Human, while offering five sticks represents five virtues of human beings: humanity, righteousness, wisdom, trust, and faith. The human mind prefers odd numbers, which symbolize growth,” said Dr. Thanh Tu, a professor. Similarly, bunches of bananas chosen for offering also tend to have odd numbers of bananas.
Guidelines for Choosing Bananas for Tet Offering:
– When buying bananas for Tet offering, it is important to avoid fully ripe bananas as they can easily fall off, decay, or spoil during the Tet days. Choose bananas that are still unripe, but round and not wrinkled, without any damages or bruises, and not too green.
– It is better to choose local bananas for Tet offering instead of imported bananas because local bananas have larger bunches with curved fruits that can hold other types of fruits like oranges and tangerines more securely, while imported bananas have smaller bunches and are more suitable for placing on Buddha altars or the altar of the Wealth God.
– Select bunches with large, long, and spread-out banana clusters that resemble the palm of Buddha’s hand, with the meaning of protecting and supporting family members.
– Since the five-color fruit tray represents the five elements in Chinese culture – Metal (white), Wood (green), Water (black), Fire (red), and Earth (yellow), green bananas represent the Wood element. Therefore, if you bring ripe and yellow bananas to offer on the fruit tray, it will not convey the intended meaning.
Fruits to Offer on the Altar:
Pomelo
Pomelos are one of the fruits commonly displayed during Tet in northern Vietnamese households. Fresh and round, pomelos are always beautifully presented on the fruit tray, symbolizing abundance, fulfillment, family prosperity, togetherness, and good health.
In addition, in Chinese, the word for “pomelo” sounds similar to the word for “son.” That’s why people also offer pomelos to pray for blessings for their children.
Pomegranate
With its attractive red color, pomegranate adds vibrancy to your fruit tray. It symbolizes growth, development, and brings good luck for your children. In ancestral worshipping rituals, pomegranates are believed to ensure that children born into the family will be healthy and robust, as pomegranates are known for their abundant and sweet seeds.
Orange
Shiny and round oranges bring positive energy to your family. Besides warding off bad luck, they also bring good luck and success to every family member.
Apple
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