Bustling countryside market welcoming the 15th day of the 7th lunar month

Since ancient times, the Full Moon Festival in July has entered the consciousness of Nghe people as one of the most important holidays of the year. Along with the changes in socio-economic conditions, the atmosphere of celebrating the Full Moon Festival seems to be spreading more and more throughout the countryside. The rural market is the place that most clearly reflects the atmosphere of celebrating the Full Moon Festival in July in the countryside. In the photo: Cau Market in Kim Lien Commune (Nam Dan). Photo: Huy Thu

These days, every corner of the rural market is a familiar image. Compared to normal days, the rural market on the full moon day opens earlier and closes later. Photo: Huy Thu

The Full Moon Market is different from the regular market not only because it is crowded but also because the quantity of goods increases dramatically and the prices are more diverse. The most prominent image of the Full Moon Market is probably the banana stall. Because the fruit tray for the Full Moon offering cannot lack a beautiful bunch of bananas. Therefore, housewives always pay attention to choosing a beautiful bunch of bananas with evenly ripe fruit. On normal days, bananas from the countryside market are quite cheap, but on the Full Moon, the price of the ugliest bunch of bananas is 5-6 times higher. In the photo: The scene of buying and selling bananas at Con market, Thanh Duong commune (Thanh Chuong). Photo: Huy Thu

On the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, it seems that every family has to buy votive paper - an important and indispensable offering on the ancestral altar. Votive paper is increasingly diverse and rich in design and color. The 15th day of the 7th lunar month is one of the two best-selling occasions of the year. Photo: Huy Thu

At the countryside market on the full moon day, beautiful areca nuts and fresh betel leaves are brought from all over the countryside. At the full moon market, betel and areca nuts are in high demand because they are indispensable items in the full moon worship ceremony. This year, the areca nut season is good, and the areca nuts at the full moon market are not too expensive. In the photo: Women and mothers choose betel and areca nuts at Om Market in Minh Son commune (Do Luong) Photo: Huy Thu

In the past, on every full moon day, families would slaughter pigs and grind a lot of sticky rice together. Nowadays, "eating" is no longer as important as before, but every family still prepares everything with all their heart and soul. In the photo: Fruits at Bong market in Bao Thanh commune (Yen Thanh) are quite rich and diverse. Photo: Huy Thu

An old woman in Bao Thanh commune (Yen Thanh) went to Bong market to buy food for the Full Moon festival and said: In this time of chemical chaos, people who go to the market on the Full Moon festival often choose to buy homegrown fruits such as grapefruit, longan, oranges, etc. to offer on the Full Moon festival. Photo: Huy Thu

On the full moon day tray, there are often many delicious dishes prepared by mothers, but the indispensable dish is sticky rice with boiled chicken. According to folk experience, the chicken to be used for the feast must be a beautiful rooster, not too big or too old. Currently, many people choose to buy free-range chickens and hill chickens with firm meat. There are many chickens, so the price of chicken in the countryside market only fluctuates around 100,000 VND/kg.

On this occasion, green tea is also sold a lot in the countryside market. People who go to the market to buy fresh tea to cook tea for the Full Moon Festival and treat guests to a delicious bowl of tea. Photo: Huy Thu

Besides the bustling trading, in the middle of the Full Moon Market there are also spaces for chatting, to reminisce about the past and present, to talk about the Full Moon celebrations of the past and present. Going to the Full Moon Market, listening to the story of the Full Moon of the seventh lunar month has returned to all the country roads. Photo: Huy Thu