The service of preparing offerings for the Mid-Autumn Festival in Nghe An is attracting many customers.

According to Vietnamese custom, people begin preparing offerings for the Mid-Autumn Festival around the 10th day of the seventh lunar month. Therefore, the atmosphere in local markets is already bustling with activity these days. Ms. Nguyen Huyen Trang from Hung Dung ward (Vinh City) said: “This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on a Sunday, but my family will hold the ceremony on the afternoon of the 13th day of the lunar month (Friday) so we can return to our hometown to light incense for our ancestors; so I went to the market early to buy offerings including fruits, sticky rice with chicken, sweet soup, and glutinous rice balls.”

According to Ms. Trang, fruit prices have increased by 5,000-10,000 VND/kg compared to normal days. Specifically, custard apples from Nghe An are priced at 45,000-50,000 VND/kg (an increase of 10,000 VND/kg); and yellow cantaloupe is 45,000 VND/kg (an increase of 5,000 VND/kg).

Bananas, in particular, cost 50,000-70,000 VND per bunch, with large, beautiful ones costing 100,000-150,000 VND per bunch for those with an odd number of bananas (double the usual price). Betel leaves and areca nuts remain stable, fluctuating between 8,000-10,000 VND per plate; fresh flowers of all kinds are priced steadily: white, yellow, and colored chrysanthemums at 8,000-10,000 VND per flower; lotus flowers of all kinds at 50,000 VND per dozen.

At local markets, food prices have not fluctuated much despite increased demand. Ms. Le Thi Toan, a meat vendor at Quan Lau market in Truong Thi ward (Vinh City), said: “In recent days, demand for pork has increased slightly due to many people preparing offerings for ancestral worship ceremonies. The price of pork, as well as chicken and beef, has not increased. However, the price of roosters for these ceremonies has risen slightly, by 5,000-10,000 VND/kg, ranging from 130,000-140,000 VND/kg.”

Prices of seafood items have also cooled down compared to before. Accordingly, the price of whiteleg shrimp is 250,000 VND/kg for the 30 shrimp/kg size, and 280,000 VND/kg for the 20 shrimp/kg size; tiger shrimp is 400,000-500,000 VND/kg depending on the type…

In contrast to the rising prices of meat, shrimp, etc., vegetables and root crops are experiencing a sharp increase. This is due to erratic weather patterns, with alternating rain and sunshine hindering crop growth and limiting supply, thus driving prices up. According to surveys, lettuce prices have reached 40,000 VND/kg, zucchini 25,000 VND/kg, and green onions 50,000 VND/kg…

Especially during this year's full moon festival, ready-made offering trays are in high demand. Ms. Tran Thi Kim Dung, the owner of a kitchen on Nguyen Tuan Thien Street (Vinh City), said: "Starting from the beginning of the seventh lunar month, the kitchen has been receiving orders for ready-made offering trays, including both vegetarian and non-vegetarian trays."

Accordingly, customers order trays and offerings for the full moon ceremony from the afternoon of the 10th to the afternoon of the 15th, averaging 30-40 trays per day. As for trays for temple offerings, the kitchen is overloaded, and we have to mobilize extra staff to keep up with customer orders. Our kitchen has to close orders by the 11th of the lunar month and can't accept any more."

A chicken and sticky rice feast ranges from 550,000 to 900,000 VND per set; a seven-dish savory meal costs 700,000 to 1,000,000 VND per set; and a vegetarian meal costs 800,000 to 1,200,000 VND per set.

“We order ready-made meals, they make them look nice, with plenty of dishes, and besides, I don't have time to cook. For many years now, except for Tet (Lunar New Year), for the Lantern Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, or the Seventh Lunar Month Festival, we always order ready-made meals, including fruit in baskets already arranged, so we just have to offer them to the altar. This year, the price of these meals has increased by about 10-20% compared to previous years due to rising food prices,” said Ms. Thanh Mai, a resident of Vinh City.

Responding to customer demand and preferences, from the end of the sixth lunar month, organic food stores, kitchens, and restaurants have been offering services for preparing offerings for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Customers can pre-order the offerings at a discounted price; ordering for immediate pickup costs 50,000-100,000 VND more per offering.

According to establishments that prepare ready-made ceremonial meals, most stop accepting orders before the 12th day of the lunar month due to being overwhelmed. “The offerings must be meticulously and thoughtfully prepared. Ready-made ceremonial meals are popular because of their diverse menus and elaborate, beautiful presentations, which require considerable effort. Therefore, we limit orders to what we can handle, avoiding overcommitment that could lead to mistakes and damage our reputation,” shared Mr. Huu Thang, the owner of a catering business in Hung Loc commune (Vinh City).

During this time, many online marketplaces are offering attractive platters of flowers, fragrant fruits, and colorful sticky rice, priced from 100,000 to 500,000 VND per platter depending on size and amount of fruit. The colorful sticky rice platters, meticulously dyed and steamed using glutinous rice soaked in butterfly pea flowers, turmeric, gac fruit, etc., are priced from 100,000 to 150,000 VND per platter.