Discover the difference between the Mid-Autumn Festival trays of the past and present

The Mid-Autumn Festival tray, a traditional cultural feature deeply imprinted in the memories of Vietnamese people, has undergone many changes over time.

If in the past, the tray of offerings had a simple appearance with fragrant grapefruit seeds, fragrant green rice, or rustic green bananas, today, it is more elaborately prepared with the appearance of moon cakes and moon cakes delicately arranged.

Ancient feast: simple yet sophisticated

The traditional Mid-Autumn Festival trays in the Northern villages are imbued with traditional features, combining sophistication and simplicity. Usually, the trays are filled with seasonal fruits such as grapefruit, banana, persimmon, custard apple, sapodilla... These fruits are not only for enjoyment but also skillfully crafted by adults into unique animal shapes. The grapefruit is shaped into a "poodle" with carefully peeled grapefruit peel as the body, green bananas form the ears, and longan seeds are used for the eyes; meanwhile, the clusters of green young rice symbolize the joy of a bountiful harvest.

The special attraction of the Mid-Autumn Festival in the past was the creativity of children with the ingredients from the tray to make toys. Grapefruit seeds were strung into strings and then roasted on a charcoal stove to create homemade “fireworks”. Simple items such as eggshells, jackfruit leaves or milk cans were also cleverly used to turn into small drums or lanterns.

The joy of Mid-Autumn Festival at that time did not lie in luxury but in the closeness, meaning and connection between each family member through simple things.

Mid-Autumn Festival tray today: modern and rich

Along with the change of urban lifestyle, the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival tray has undergone many changes. Moon cakes and sticky rice cakes, which are typical symbols, still play the role of “soul” in the tray, but are now combined with modern candies and imported fruits.

In big cities, instead of carving fruits into elaborate shapes like before, many families choose to buy pre-decorated fruit trays from supermarkets with eye-catching appearances. In addition, they also focus on investing in high-end mooncake boxes with luxurious designs to serve the need for gifting. Some businesses and hotels have also created new styles of mooncakes such as salted egg lava cakes, matcha cakes, chocolate cakes, and even “diet” cakes for people with sugar restrictions.

If the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival tray represents the community spirit with children gathering to enjoy the tray in the communal house yard, today, the tray is mainly compact to suit the family atmosphere or is used to meet the need for gift giving and gratitude in modern society.

Unchanged meaning: Complete solidarity

From ancient times to the present, the Mid-Autumn Festival tray has always been a symbol of reunion and gathering. Seasonal fruits represent the fruits of hard work, while moon cakes and sticky rice cakes represent the image of a full moon. No matter where they are, Vietnamese people still want their families to gather together on the full moon night of August, enjoy the tray of food, watch the moon and share happiness.

What has changed over time is the way the feast is presented and presented. While the feast of the past emphasized simplicity, craftsmanship and contained the warm feelings of the family, the feast of today reflects convenience, fullness and more or less commercialism. However, no matter the time, the common point that never changes is the love and bond between family members.

Looking back at the journey from grapefruit seeds, green rice, green bananas to today's luxurious moon cakes, we see that the Mid-Autumn Festival tray is not only a dish, but also a cultural memory. It preserves the mark of each historical period, reflects the changes in life, but at the same time reminds each person of the core value: gathering under the full moon.

Perhaps, no matter how many new dishes are added to the feast in the future, the joy of enjoying the feast with family and friends will remain the same - the true soul of the Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/kham-pha-su-khac-biet-giua-mam-co-trung-thu-xua-va-nay-post1063578.vnp