People prefer vegetarian food and votive offerings but there are few customers on the occasion of the 15th day of the 7th lunar month.

Flowers and vegetables increase in price, basic foods remain stable

On the days approaching the 15th of July, the traditional markets in Nghe An such as Vinh market, Quan Lau market, Anh Son market, Do Luong market, etc. are bustling with buyers. Traders said that this year, the prices of fresh food for offerings are still quite stable, except for poultry, which has increased slightly, and green vegetables and fresh flowers, which have increased.

According to a survey, chicken prices range from 110,000 - 130,000 VND/kg, an increase of about 10% compared to normal days. The reason is that people limit the use of pork due to concerns about African swine fever, switching to choosing chicken for offerings. "In the past few days, there have been many customers buying chicken for offerings, there were days when I sold out all the chickens in just one morning. Most people choose beautiful roosters for offerings, so the price is a bit higher," said Ms. Dau Thi Lieu - a trader at Anh Son market.

The trading atmosphere at the poultry stalls was therefore more bustling. From early morning, people jostled to choose beautiful chickens, many families bought live chickens to raise and slaughter on the full moon day. The poultry slaughter service kiosks were operating at full capacity.

Ms. Ngan Thi Hoa - owner of a poultry slaughterhouse in Anh Son market said: "Since the 11th of the 7th lunar month until now, every day has been crowded with customers, some days we make up to a hundred chickens. Mainly roosters for worship, which have to be meticulously and elaborately made, with legs and wings attached... so it takes more time, and the price is also higher, from 25,000-30,000 VND/chicken".

Meanwhile, pork, beef and seafood prices basically remain stable: pork belly, ribs, and ham 120,000 - 150,000 VND/kg; beef 220,000 - 250,000 VND/kg; grass carp 100,000 - 150,000 VND/kg; squid 150,000 - 250,000 VND/kg.

In contrast to the stability of meat, green vegetables have increased sharply in price, 2-3 times higher than at the beginning of the month. Water spinach has increased from 7,000 VND/bunch to 12,000-15,000 VND/bunch, amaranth from 5,000 VND to 15,000 VND/bunch, mustard greens 20,000 VND/bunch... The reason is explained as heavy rains causing vegetables to be crushed, supply decreased while demand increased.

Fresh flowers for offerings also increased slightly. Roses range from 8,000 - 10,000 VND/flower, lilies 15,000 - 30,000 VND/flower, gladiolus 12,000 - 15,000 VND/branch. Lilies and chrysanthemums cost from 8,000 - 12,000 VND/branch, an increase of about 20% compared to normal.

Fruits - an indispensable part of the offering tray - have increased slightly. 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 a large shopping demand during this holiday.

Vegetarian offerings are popular, but votive offerings are rare.

A notable point during the Full Moon Festival this year is that vegetarian food, especially pre-prepared vegetarian dishes, is in high demand. Large supermarkets such as Go! Vinh, VinMart, Lotte Mart, along with many grocery stores and retailers, have launched a variety of vegetarian products: dumplings, vegetarian ham, vegetarian chicken, vegetarian shrimp and fish, crispy rice, processed foods... with prices ranging from a few tens of thousands to a few hundred thousand VND.

Many busy families choose to order a complete vegetarian meal instead of cooking for themselves. Prices range from 700,000 - 1.5 million VND/tray for 6 people, with 8 - 13 dishes. Popular dishes are five-color spring rolls, mushroom salad, vegetarian goat meat, vegetarian roasted chicken, health soup... Some vegetarian restaurants in Vinh even have to "close orders early" because of overload.

Ms. Tra Giang - a vegetarian food cook on Nguyen Sy Sach Street, Truong Vinh Ward said that this year, on the occasion of the 15th of July, she received orders for food trays very early. In previous years, I usually received orders from the 10th to the 14th of July of the lunar calendar, but this year, customers have asked to order food trays since the beginning of the month, so I also took the opportunity to open orders earlier.

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

Therefore, in addition to the management agency strengthening market inspection, consumers also need to equip themselves with knowledge about food safety, prioritize choosing products from reliable manufacturers, with product labels containing full information. Do not be greedy for cheap prices and choose cheap foods of unknown origin, food hygiene and safety certificates, which are widely sold on the market.

In contrast to the excitement of vegetarian food and votive paper, items associated with the custom of burning votive paper during the 15th day of the 7th lunar month have few customers. A survey at traditional markets shows 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 neat, simple but respectful meal. This reflects a change in religious life, towards thrift, civilization, and at the same time, associated with environmental protection awareness.