Don't let Tet sweets and snacks go to waste.

After the Lunar New Year, many families have a large amount of leftover cakes, jams, and candies, including many boxes and bags that haven't even been opened. The initiative to collect these cakes and candies that are still within their expiration date to give as gifts not only brings joy to many children in mountainous areas and underprivileged children, but also helps reduce the waste of cakes and candies after the Tet holiday.

Leftover candies and snacks from the Lunar New Year that are not used can be donated to those in need.

According to Vietnamese tradition, cakes, jams, and candies are indispensable in Tet rituals and family gatherings. With the belief that Tet must be abundant, many families prepare a wide variety of sweets to offer as incense offerings and to entertain guests.

Along with economic development and improved living standards, the demand for food during Tet (Lunar New Year) has increased significantly in recent years. People not only shop for their families but also give Tet gifts to relatives and friends, while businesses prepare gifts for partners and employees. As a result, many families have an "overload" of cakes, jams, and candies. Ms. Ngo Diem Huong (Khuong Dinh ward) shared: "Learning from previous Tets when we had a lot of leftovers, this year my family is tightening our spending to avoid waste. However, we still have a lot of cakes and candies left over from gifts, while children are overweight and adults need to maintain their health, so everyone has to limit their sugar intake."

In reality, city children today have access to many delicious foods throughout the year, so Tet cakes and candies are no longer as appealing. After Tet, the demand for sweets decreases significantly. When life returns to normal, these treats are easily forgotten in the cupboard. If not properly preserved, cakes, jams, and candies can expire, lose quality, become moldy, or change in taste, leading to wasted money and increased food and packaging waste, burdening the environment.

To prevent wasted cakes and candies, each family needs to develop reasonable and economical consumption habits, choosing to buy only what they need. After Tet, instead of letting food expire, families can share it with disadvantaged families, sick children, or children in mountainous areas. Small gifts like cakes, candies, jams, or nuts, although not of great material value, can bring warm joy to many children.

Currently, many individuals, volunteer groups, and community clubs are organizing programs to "rescue" cakes and candies after Tet (Lunar New Year) with various ideas such as "Gathering sweetness, sharing," "Contributing sweetness after Tet," "Tet handover," "Collecting sweet candies, sharing love," etc.

Mr. Bui Manh Bang (Dai Mo ward) said: “My job often takes me to remote mountainous areas, so I often collect books, school supplies, backpacks, clothes, and leftover cakes and candies from Tet (Lunar New Year) to send to children there. Only by going to these remote schools can I truly see the sparkling joy in the children's eyes when they receive cakes and candies. Even though they are small gifts, I find them very meaningful. For many children in mountainous areas, cakes and candies are their favorite treats. When they receive them, some don't even dare open them right away because they want to save them to share with their older siblings at home.”

However, Mr. Bang also noted that the cakes and candies sent as gifts must be within their expiration date, have a clear origin, and not be melted, soggy, or crumbled. For cakes and candies that have been opened and are no longer in their original boxes, they should be placed in separate bags for easier sorting.

These seemingly small packages of cookies and candies, when given away, can become a practical form of support for those in need, demonstrating care and concern within the community. Beyond the meaning of sharing love, collecting leftover cookies and candies after Tet (Lunar New Year) also helps reduce food waste – a problem that many countries are concerned about.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/dung-de-banh-keo-tet-tro-thanh-lang-phi-739549.html