Green bananas for Tet (Vietnamese New Year)

In the days leading up to Tet (Vietnamese New Year), a stroll through the banana plantations in Cao Phong, Tan Lac, Ban Nguyen... or passing through rural and urban markets easily reveals the vibrant green of freshly harvested banana bunches still glistening with sap. In the cool weather of late year, green bananas are not just a simple, rustic fruit but have become an indispensable part of the five-fruit offering on Tet for Vietnamese people.

The joy of a banana harvest with good prices for the family of Ms. Nguyen Thi Thi, Zone 7, Cao Phong commune.

For generations, a bunch of green bananas has always been placed in the center, supporting other fruits on the five-fruit offering tray. The image of the bananas arranged in an arc like hands embracing and protecting symbolizes togetherness and reunion, expressing the hope for a prosperous and peaceful new year. The color green represents growth, development, and new beginnings. Despite the many changes in modern life, the bunch of green bananas retains its spiritual value in every family during Tet (Vietnamese New Year).

The banana plantations in Cao Phong commune are carefully supported and the bunches are wrapped securely.

In many rural areas, choosing bananas for Tet (Lunar New Year) is not just about buying and selling, but also about family bonds. Even while the banana bunches are still on the tree, many families "save" the most beautiful bunches for the last day of the year. When harvesting, people carefully cut down the bunches, wipe each banana, and select those with even curves and vibrant green fruit to place on the ancestral altar. The rest are shared among siblings and relatives, with each family receiving one bunch to share the Tet atmosphere.

Banana plantations are being planted to improve the soil in Cao Phong.

In Cao Phong commune, a place famous for its specialty oranges, many households have started planting bananas in recent years to improve the soil after cultivating oranges. Banana trees have well-developed root systems that help retain moisture, increase soil aeration, and improve soil quality. Initially just a technical solution, banana cultivation has gradually yielded significant economic benefits.

In the days leading up to the 23rd day of the Lunar New Year, the banana-growing villages are bustling with harvesting activity from early morning. Traders come directly to the orchards to select bunches and place deposits in advance. Bananas displayed during Tet (Lunar New Year) require high standards in terms of appearance: the bunches must be well-proportioned, with a beautiful number of hands, uniform, vibrant green, and undamaged fruit. Bunches meeting these standards fetch prices ranging from 400,000 to 500,000 VND, significantly higher than at other times of the year.

Bunches of green bananas with beautiful fruit fetch a good price during Tet (Vietnamese New Year).

A prime example is the family of Ms. Nguyen Thi Thi, in Zone 7, Cao Phong commune. After renovating a portion of their orange orchard, her family planted bananas as an intercrop. This year, leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), she sold 100 bunches at an average price of 400,000 VND per bunch. Thanks to good care techniques, the bananas are of high quality, with evenly sized hands and beautifully curved fruits. Even though the bananas fetched a good price, her family still kept a few of the most beautiful bunches to display during Tet and share with relatives. "It's great that the bananas sold, but the most beautiful bunches must still be reserved for the ancestral altar and for family members," she shared.

Bananas are sold in markets during Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year).

In the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), green bananas are being sold in abundance at markets. At Tan Thanh and Hoa Binh wards, Ms. Bui Thi Bich stated that her family had sold an entire cartload of bananas since morning and were continuing to transport about 30 more bunches from Cao Phong to the market. The bananas are being sold for between 3,000 and 10,000 VND per fruit. According to Ms. Bich, banana prices this year are stable, reasonable, and more affordable than in 2025.

Customers choose the most beautiful bunch of fruit to arrange on the offering tray.

From a secondary crop, bananas have become an effective "intercropping" crop, helping to improve soil quality and increase people's income. But more than anything, each bunch of green bananas leaving the garden not only carries economic value but also embodies family traditions, customs, and hopes for the new year.

Customers will choose bunches of green, fresh bananas that still have their stems attached.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), the image of carefully selected, tender bunches of green bananas further enhances the spirit of the new spring. Simple yet profound, green bananas quietly hold a central place on the five-fruit offering, a reminder of origins, of reunion, and the wish for a prosperous and joyful new year.

Hong Duyen

Source: https://baophutho.vn/chuoi-xanh-ngay-tet-247734.htm