People prefer vegetarian meals, and there are fewer customers for votive offerings during the Mid-Autumn Festival in the seventh lunar month.

Prices of flowers and vegetables have increased, while prices of basic food items remain stable.

In the days leading up to the full moon of the seventh lunar month, local markets in Nghe An province, such as Vinh Market, Quan Lau Market, Anh Son Market, and Do Luong Market, are bustling with shoppers. Traders say that this year, the prices of fresh food for offerings remain relatively stable, except for poultry which has slightly increased, and vegetables and fresh flowers which have risen significantly.

According to a survey, chicken prices range from 110,000 to 130,000 VND/kg, an increase of about 10% compared to normal days. The reason is that people are limiting their consumption of pork due to concerns about African swine fever, and are choosing chicken instead for offerings. "These past few days, there have been many customers buying chickens for offerings; some days I sold out completely in just the morning. Most people choose beautiful roosters for offerings, so the price is a little higher," shared Ms. Dau Thi Lieu, a small trader at Anh Son market.

The atmosphere at the poultry stalls was therefore much busier. From early morning, people crowded around to choose the best chickens, with many families buying live chickens to keep at home until the full moon day to slaughter them. The poultry slaughtering service kiosks were operating at full capacity.

Ms. Ngan Thi Hoa, the owner of a poultry slaughterhouse at Anh Son market, said: "From the 11th day of the 7th lunar month until now, we've had a lot of customers every day, sometimes processing up to a hundred chickens. Mostly roosters for offerings, which require meticulous and elaborate preparation, such as securing the legs and wings, so it takes more time and the price is higher, from 25,000 to 30,000 VND per chicken."

Meanwhile, the prices of pork, beef, and seafood remained relatively stable: pork belly, ribs, and trotters at 120,000 – 150,000 VND/kg; beef at 220,000 – 250,000 VND/kg; carp at 100,000 – 150,000 VND/kg; and squid at 150,000 – 250,000 VND/kg.

In contrast to the stable price of meat, the price of green vegetables has increased sharply, doubling or tripling compared to the beginning of the month. Water spinach, which cost 7,000 VND/bundle, has now risen to 12,000-15,000 VND/bundle; amaranth from 5,000 VND to 15,000 VND/bundle; and cabbage to 20,000 VND/bundle… The reason given is that heavy rains have damaged crops, reducing supply while demand has increased.

Prices for fresh flowers offered at religious ceremonies have also increased slightly. Roses range from 8,000 to 10,000 VND per flower, lilies from 15,000 to 30,000 VND per flower, and gladioli from 12,000 to 15,000 VND per stem. Lilies and chrysanthemums are priced from 8,000 to 12,000 VND per stem, an increase of about 20% compared to normal days.

Fruits – an indispensable part of the offering tray – have seen a slight increase in price. Specifically: dragon fruit from 35,000 – 65,000 VND/kg, custard apple from 60,000 – 85,000 VND/kg, watermelon from 20,000 – 25,000 VND/kg, grapes from 150,000 – 250,000 VND/kg... In general, apart from vegetables and flowers, the food market has not fluctuated much, ensuring that the high demand for shopping during this holiday is met.

Vegetarian offerings are in high demand, while paper offerings are not.

A notable trend this year during the Mid-Autumn Festival (the 15th day of the 7th lunar month) is the strong demand for vegetarian food, especially ready-made vegetarian feasts. Large supermarkets like Go! Vinh, VinMart, Lotte Mart, along with many grocery stores and small traders, are offering a wide variety of vegetarian products: dumplings, vegetarian sausage, vegetarian chicken, vegetarian shrimp and fish, crispy rice, and other ready-made meals... with prices ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dong.

Many busy families choose to order a complete vegetarian feast package instead of cooking themselves. Prices range from 700,000 to 1.5 million VND per set for 6 people, with 8 to 13 dishes. Popular dishes include colorful spring rolls, mushroom salad, vegetarian goat meat, vegetarian chicken in roti sauce, and nourishing soups… In fact, some vegetarian catering establishments in Vinh have to close orders early due to overwhelming demand.

Ms. Tra Giang, a caterer specializing in vegetarian feasts on Nguyen Sy Sach Street, Truong Vinh Ward, said that she received orders for feasts very early this year for the Mid-Autumn Festival (the 15th day of the 7th lunar month). "In previous years, I usually received orders from the 10th to the 14th of the 7th lunar month, but this year, customers have been asking to order feasts since the beginning of the month, so I've been taking orders earlier," she said.

Traditional markets are also bustling with a wide variety of vegetarian food at reasonable prices.

Therefore, in addition to increased market inspections by regulatory agencies, consumers also need to equip themselves with knowledge about food safety, prioritizing products from reliable manufacturers and ensuring product labels contain complete information. They should not be tempted by cheap prices and choose low-quality food products with unclear origins and lack of food safety certification, which are widely sold on the market.

In contrast to the bustling activity surrounding vegetarian food and votive offerings, items associated with the custom of burning paper money during the Mid-Autumn Festival are experiencing a lack of customers. Surveys at local markets show that purchasing power is only 40-50% compared to the same period last year.

In fact, many families are also changing their habits; instead of buying a lot of votive paper, they focus on preparing a simple yet respectful meal. This reflects a shift in religious life towards frugality and civility, while also being linked to environmental protection awareness.