Why Southerners Avoid Bananas on Tet: The Mekong Delta's Five-Fruit Tray
In the Mekong Delta, bananas are avoided on Tet because 'chuoi' sounds like 'chui', or to plunge. The five-fruit tray instead follows 'Cầu Vừa Đủ Xài'.
Results for "banana"
Foods to Avoid at the Beginning of the New Year According to Folk Beliefs
Duck, squid, banana, shrimp, snail and fertilized duck eggs are avoided at new year in Vietnamese folk belief, which links them to bad luck.
Meanings of Each Fruit in the Five-Fruit Tray for Tet
The five-fruit tray for Tet carries wishes through bananas, pomelos, papayas and mangoes, with regional differences between North and South Vietnam.
The Kin Pang Then Festival of the White Thai: An Early-Spring Rite of Then Practitioners
Kin Pang Then is the early-spring rite of the White Thái, led by Then masters to thank the spirits and their disciples; it is held in Mường Lay, Điện Biên.
Cúng Đất in Huế: Which Months, What the Three Offering Trays Hold and Why the Land Deity Is Thanked
Cúng đất in Huế is held in the second and eighth lunar months, with three offering trays to thank the land deity and remember the former Chăm owners.
Lost Items and the Ông Địa Prayer: The Vietnamese Custom of Finding Lost Things, Divination Sticks, and What to Do First When Something Goes Missing
When something goes missing, many Vietnamese families pray to Ông Địa, the Earth God, promising an offering if it turns up. Search first, then try the ritual.
Detailed guide on arranging the five-fruit tray for Tet in three regions
A practical guide to choosing and arranging the five-fruit tray for Tet in the North, Central and South, with meanings and step-by-step instructions.
The Grain Bin Binding Ritual - A Traditional Cultural Feature of the Nung People
The grain bin binding ritual of the Nung people in Bắc Kạn is a longevity celebration within the Ky Yen ceremony, wishing elders long life.
Southern Bánh Tét: a Tet offering wrapping up the wish for family reunion
Southern bánh tét is a signature Tet offering that symbolizes prosperity and family reunion. See its origins, meaning and traditional wrapping methods.
Regional Differences in Ancestor Worship and Tết Customs Among the Kinh Across North, Central, and South Vietnam
Though united as one Kinh ethnic culture, ancestor-worship, wedding, and Tết customs differ substantially across North, Central, and South Vietnam.
Comparing Tet Feast Trays Across Northern, Central, and Southern Vietnam
Tet feast trays in Northern, Central, and Southern Vietnam differ in ingredients and meaning, from banh chung in the North to banh tet in the South.
How Does Tet Jam Differ Across the Three Regions of Vietnam?
Tết preserves across Vietnam: lotus-seed and kumquat mứt in Hà Nội, Kim Long ginger mứt in Huế, bánh tổ in Quảng, coconut mứt in the South.
Tet cakes of Vietnam's three regions: banh chung, banh tet, and cakes found in only one region
Tet cakes differ across Vietnam's three regions: the North has banh chung and banh phu the, the Center has banh to and banh in, the South has banh tet.
Traditional Tet Taboos and Customs for Good Luck
Explore traditional Vietnamese Tet taboos: avoiding sweeping, giving fire, breaking things... and the spiritual meanings behind these customs.
Sene Dolta Festival of Southern Khmer People (Sen Đôn Ta, Pchum Ben, Ancestor-Repaying Ceremony): Timing, Rituals and Meaning
Sene Dolta (Sen Đôn Ta, Pchum Ben) in 2026 runs three days, 10 to 12 October. Temple and home rituals and meaning of the Southern Khmer ancestor festival.
Housewarming Ritual (Nhập Trạch) for a New Home: Offerings and Step-by-Step Procedure
A guide to the Vietnamese housewarming ritual (nhập trạch): the offerings and each step in order, from the auspicious date to moving in.
Ancient Leaf Books of the May People, a Chut Ethnic Subgroup
Ancient leaf books of the May people, a Chut subgroup, held incantations and ritual texts, and the artisans who can read them have nearly vanished.
How Do Families in Vietnam's Three Regions Hold the Year-End Ancestor-Welcoming Ceremony on the 30th of Tet?
The rite on the afternoon of the 30th of Tet invites ancestors home for the New Year. North, Central and South differ mainly in the feast and the fruit tray.
How to Arrange the Mid-Autumn Festival Offering Tray
A detailed step-by-step guide on preparing offerings and arranging the Mid-Autumn Festival tray according to Vietnamese traditions.
Beliefs and Festivals of the Khmer Krom People
Theravada Buddhism sits at the center of Khmer Krom spiritual life, with the village pagoda and major festivals such as Chôl Chnăm Thmây and Ok Om Bok.
Meanings of Dishes in Traditional Vietnamese Wedding Feasts
Each dish at a Vietnamese wedding feast carries symbolic meaning, from red sticky rice to boiled chicken, pork rolls and braised pork.
The Worship of Ông Tà in Southern Vietnamese Folk Culture
The worship of Ông Tà, a land-protecting deity in Southern Vietnam, comes from the Khmer Neak Ta and reflects Viet-Khmer cultural exchange.
Wedding Customs of the Thai People (Sơn La)
The wedding customs of the Black Thai in Sơn La include free courtship, a trial groom service, and the Tằng cẩu hair-bunning rite.
The unique technique of making rượu cần (tube wine) of the S'tiêng people
The S'tiêng people of Bình Phước make rượu cần with forest leaf and bark yeasts and rice, yielding bitter and sweet types.
What is the grave-opening ceremony three days after burial? Offerings, southern Vietnamese custom and the Buddhist view
The grave-opening ceremony about three days after burial in southern Vietnam: the offerings, the folk meaning of chick, ladder and sugarcane, a Buddhist view.
Comparing Đoan Ngọ Festival customs across Northern, Central and Southern Vietnam
Northern and Central Vietnam stress ancestral offerings and the pest-killing ritual on Đoan Ngọ, while the South keeps things simpler.
Banh Chung and Banh Tet: Origins and Cultural Significance of Tet
Banh Chung and Banh Tet trace back to the Lang Liêu legend of the Hung King era, symbolizing heaven, earth and prosperity.
What Makes Vietnamese Traditional Cuisine Distinctive Across Regions?
An overview of Vietnamese traditional cuisine by region: Tet dishes, ancestral trays, festivals, vegetarian food and local specialties, with cultural context.
Worship Practices in Northern Vietnam: Forms, Rituals and Their Meaning in Vietnamese Life
Northern Vietnam worship includes ancestor veneration, Thành hoàng, Mother Goddess and folk rites, reflecting uống nước nhớ nguồn and the wish for peace.
Matrilineal Marriage Customs of the Ê Đê: When the Woman Proposes
Discover the unique husband-proposing rituals of the Ê Đê people in the Central Highlands, where women take the lead in marriage.
Family Altars: How Northern and Southern Vietnamese Arrangements Differ
Northern and Southern Vietnamese family altars differ in structure, arrangement, generations honored and five-fruit tray choices.
Mid-Autumn Festival for Children in Vietnam's Three Regions: How Lantern Parades, Lion Dances, and Moon-Viewing Feasts Unfold
How children celebrate Mid-Autumn in northern, central and southern Vietnam: lantern parades, lion dances and the moon-viewing feast.
New Rice Festival (Khụ Sự Chà): The Hà Nhì People's Thanksgiving to Ancestors
Khụ Sự Chà, the Hà Nhì New Rice Festival in Mường Nhé, Điện Biên, thanks ancestors with floating cakes, pig liver divination and glutinous rice pounding.
The Hre People: Where They Live, Their Language, Worship Customs and Main Festivals
The Hre live in western Quảng Ngãi and An Lão in Bình Định, speak a Mon-Khmer language and hold the buffalo sacrifice as their largest rite.
Xơ Đăng Ethnic Group: Where They Live, Their Language, Worship Customs and Main Festivals
The Xơ Đăng include the Xơ Teng, Tơ Đrá, Mnam, Ca Dong, Ha Lăng, Tà Trĩ and Chau subgroups in Kon Tum, Quảng Nam and Quảng Ngãi, with worship of Kiak spirits.
Hue Tet Feast: Echoes of Royal Cuisine in the Lunar New Year Meal
The Hue Tet feast blends royal essence with folk culture, shaped by a philosophy of frugality, elegance, harmony and transformation.
Ede people's coming-of-age ceremony: the ritual of removing bronze rings marking adulthood
In Đắk Lắk, the Ede coming-of-age ceremony removes a boy's kông bracelets at 17, marking his adulthood and right to join community affairs.
Com Làng Vòng - the signature autumn delicacy of Hanoi
Com Làng Vòng is a Hanoi autumn specialty made from young sticky rice, tied to the traditional craft of Vong village in Cầu Giấy district.
Southern Vietnamese Culture: Village Communal Houses, the Worship of the Lady Goddesses, Dialect and an Open Way of Life
Southern Vietnamese culture blends village communal houses, worship of the Lady goddesses and a vivid dialect shaped by frontier settlement.
Đoàn Nguyên Đức
Chairman of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Joint Stock Company (Bau Duc)