According to the Lunar Calendar, December of the year of the Cat has 3 good days to worship the Kitchen Gods: December 20, 21 and 23. Therefore, since the 19th, in the local markets, people have been shopping for offerings to prepare the offering trays to send the Kitchen Gods to heaven. However, it was not until this morning (December 23) that the market really became bustling.
According to records, this year, the market for offerings to Ong Cong and Ong Tao is very rich and diverse, with prices increasing slightly for some items. Specifically, the selling price of Tao Quan sets ranges from 20,000 - 60,000 VND/set (depending on size and quality), while gold coins, gold bars, etc. cost from 10,000 - 25,000 VND/offering.
In addition to votive offerings, carp is also an indispensable item on this holiday. According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Quyen, a seafood vendor at Coi market, “To serve people worshiping Ong Cong and Ong Tao on Tet, since the 20th, I have imported 50kg of red carp and yellow carp of various weights.
The price of carp this year has not increased compared to previous years. I sell at 35,000 - 60,000 VND/3 fish (depending on size). In the past 3 days, I have sold out 30kg of fish, the remaining 20kg will be sold out this morning."
In addition to live carp, carp made from sticky rice, jelly, and banh troi with prices ranging from 30,000 to 100,000 VND are also quite "attractive". Mr. Pham Cong Thanh, a resident, said: "My house is in an apartment building, quite far from the river and lake, so it is not convenient for releasing animals, so I buy fake carp and jelly carp to offer to the altar of Ong Cong and Ong Tao".
On this day, fresh flowers are also quite popular, at the end of the year, purchasing power increases so the selling price of this item has doubled compared to normal days. Currently, chrysanthemums cost from 10,000 - 12,000 VND/flower, roses cost 10,000 - 12,000 VND/flower; areca nuts cost 15,000 VND/plate.
Fresh fruit products fluctuated little. Accordingly, watermelon was priced at 35,000 VND/kg; oranges were priced at 40,000 - 50,000 VND/kg, red-fleshed dragon fruit was priced at 50,000 - 60,000 VND/kg, mango was priced at 50,000 - 65,000 VND/kg... In particular, the price of bananas for offerings increased significantly compared to normal days, currently being sold at 100,000 - 150,000 VND/bunch; Buddha's hand fruit was priced quite high, from 80,000 - 150,000 VND/fruit.
According to tradition, on the day of sending Mr. Cong and Mr. Tao to heaven, each family prepares a savory tray, incense and flowers as offerings. To meet consumer demand, many restaurants and individuals have provided full Tao Quan worship services, including votive offerings, goldfish, betel and areca nuts, vegetarian offerings, and savory offerings... with prices ranging from 500,000 to 1.3 million VND/tray depending on each customer's choice.
In addition to selling on traditional markets, forums and social networking sites such as Zalo and Facebook also advertise offerings for the Kitchen Gods. To attract customers, these units apply a free shipping policy and are chosen by many people, especially civil servants.
“At the end of the year, most people are busy with both home and office work. Therefore, they choose to order a complete offering tray for the Kitchen Gods via Zalo, Facebook, or phone. Depending on the customer's request and the amount of money they offer, we will prepare a suitable offering and deliver it to their home. Customers just need to place it on the altar.
This year, the number of customers ordering full-package offerings has increased sharply. On the 20th, 21st, and 23rd, our establishment received up to 30 offerings per day. Of which, a large number ordered chicken sticky rice offerings with prices ranging from 450,000 - 550,000 VND/award," said Ms. Nguyen Hai Ha, owner of a restaurant in Hung Dung ward.
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