Suggestions for traditional offerings for the 2025 Cold Food Festival

Every year on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month is the Cold Food Festival, Vietnamese people often prepare offerings to worship their grandparents and ancestors, remembering their roots. The following article will suggest you the most complete traditional offering tray.

Cold Food Festival is an occasion for Vietnamese people to remember their roots, express gratitude to their ancestors, and demonstrate family unity.

The offering tray for the Cold Food Festival usually does not need to be "high and full", depending on the homeowner's conditions, it can be arranged appropriately, however, there are some indispensable dishes when offering the ceremony.

The Cold Food Festival offering tray is solemnly displayed on the altar, with dishes arranged neatly and beautifully.

Below, we would like to suggest the most complete and detailed offering tray for the 2025 Cold Food Festival:

Banh troi, banh chay

In the Han Thuc Festival offerings, banh troi and banh chay are considered the soul of the offerings. Banh troi and banh chay carry a deep meaning of fullness and fulfillment in life.

According to traditional customs, the offering tray must have 3 or 5 plates of banh troi and 3 or 5 bowls of banh chay.

Banh troi is made from glutinous rice flour, filled with sugar. Banh troi symbolizes purity, cleanliness and reunion. The sweet rock sugar filling represents the warmth and coziness in the family. The white color of Banh troi also symbolizes purity and respect for ancestors.

Vegetarian cake is made from sticky rice flour, with no filling or with mung bean filling, served with a little sweet dessert mixed with sweet and fragrant grapefruit flower-scented tapioca starch.

Prepare the newest cakes, made from delicious rice, not only to show respect but also to demonstrate the care and thoughtfulness of descendants towards their roots.

Incense, flowers, betel and areca

In all Vietnamese ceremonies, incense, fresh flowers, and betel and areca nuts are indispensable offerings. Therefore, during the Cold Food Festival, the homeowner also needs to prepare these offerings.

When making offerings on the Cold Food Festival, choose betel leaves and areca nuts that are fresh, green and not wilted. This symbolizes freshness, longevity and luck.

Glass of clean water

Every time you burn incense for your ancestors, the homeowner needs to replace it with a new cup of clean water to show respect, and the Cold Food Festival is no exception.

Fruit tray

Depending on the season, the homeowner chooses 5 fruits of different colors such as green, red, yellow, purple... to represent the five elements, offering to ancestors to show filial piety and wish for good things. Remember to carefully choose the freshest and most beautiful fruits.

In addition to carefully preparing the offering tray, the homeowner can read the prayer and send wishes for good things and happiness in life. The prayer should come from the heart, with deep gratitude to the ancestors, hoping to bring peace and harmony to the family.

Synthetic

What date is Cold Food Festival 2025?

Cold Food Festival 2025 falls on Monday, March 31st (lunar calendar).

The unique Cold Food Festival 'Floating Cake Lake' with lotus flowers and goldfish in Hanoi

Different from the familiar traditional banh troi nuoc, under the skillful hands of the 8x Hanoian, each cake suddenly becomes a lovely, soft and lively work of art.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/goi-y-mam-cung-ngay-tet-han-thuc-2025-chuan-truyen-thong-2385873.html