Full of colors on the tray of Banh Troi on Han Thuc Festival

Cold Food Festival (March 3rd of the lunar calendar) is an important holiday in Vietnamese culture. According to folk beliefs, this is the day when families remember their roots and give thanks, so not eating meat or killing will help the homeowner accumulate virtue. This is also a way to show respect to ancestors.

Banh troi and banh chay are two typical dishes of the Cold Food Festival, not only symbolizing cold food (cold food) but also expressing fullness and connection, as a reminder of the morality of drinking water and remembering its source. Therefore, the Cold Food Festival is also called Banh troi and banh chay Festival in Vietnamese culture.

If in the past, banh troi and banh chay were mainly traditionally white, in recent years, the trend of variations with all kinds of natural colors has brought new vitality to the offering tray on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month.

To create colors for banh troi, housewives often use natural ingredients, such as: red banh troi from gac fruit, green from pandan leaves, butterfly pea flowers, yellow from turmeric powder... Not only beautiful, these colors also bring a unique flavor, making the cake more attractive. The shape of banh troi is also transformed in a new, unique but also extremely beautiful way.

Ms. Nguyen Thu Hang (My Dinh, Hanoi), a person passionate about making traditional cakes, shared: “ I like to make banh troi and banh chay by myself for my family. This year, I experimented with adding natural colors to make the offering tray more eye-catching. This not only makes the children more interested but also preserves traditional values.”

Despite her busy work schedule, Ms. Do My Chau (Dong Da, Hanoi) still takes advantage of the weekend to make small, pretty banh troi and banh chay with her children. Ms. Chau said, "This has long been a family tradition. I want my children to join in making cakes to educate them about traditional holidays of the nation, and also to help strengthen family ties."

In addition to making cakes, many families also display offerings with fresh flowers, sweet soup, and sticky rice to show their respect. Despite changes over time, the Cold Food Festival is still an occasion for descendants to remember their ancestors' merits and preserve the traditional cultural beauty of the nation.

Some pictures of the tray of banh troi - banh chay offerings on this year's Cold Food Festival: