Meaning and how to display the five-fruit tray on Tet holiday

A full tray of five fruits symbolizes the wish for a prosperous and good new year.

The five-fruit tray must have 5 different types of fruit with different meanings, each carrying its own unique goodness. These 5 types of fruit have different sizes, colors and carry their own special meanings.

Each region has different concepts and customs of worshiping fruits on the five-fruit tray, depending on the conditions, customs and thoughts of the people. Northerners are very fond of bananas, which are considered the main fruit for the entire fruit tray for Tet. A bunch of green bananas symbolizes an upturned hand that covers and protects everything. This is a symbol of a fresh and vibrant spring, bringing peace and prosperity to the homeowner. Buddha's hand or grapefruit symbolizes the word "luck" with the wish that the elders will bless the children in the family and dispel any bad luck or disasters that may come to the family. Papaya or fig symbolizes the wish for abundance, a new year of prosperity and progress compared to the previous year. Other fruits such as oranges, persimmons, plums, tangerines... have bright colors, symbolizing joy, harmony and luck for the whole family in the new year.

In particular, Northern people attach great importance to fruit plates. The plate must be round, not any other shape. Round plates symbolize fullness, prosperity and abundance, which symbolizes people's wishes for a warmer, more prosperous and better New Year.

The Tet fruit tray in the North today is more liberal and has changed a lot compared to the past in terms of the types of fruit as well as the arrangement. The arrangement is no longer as strict and too formal as before, but the most necessary fruits, especially bananas, are still indispensable.

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