Why are incense-burning bananas with their beards still more expensive?
When buying bananas to burn incense, people often choose old, beautiful, fresh bunches that also have the whiskers intact, making these banana bunches always have a higher price.
Bananas are not only an important ingredient in the five-fruit tray on Tet, but also the most popular fruit to offer to the altar of gods and ancestors on the full moon day, the first day of the year, on death anniversaries, and in worship rituals. Other offerings during the year.
Why are incense-burning bananas with their beards still more expensive?
When choosing bananas for worship, people often choose bunches with large, many fruits but must have an odd number, symbolizing prosperity, togetherness and completeness. In particular, a bunch of bananas to be considered beautiful must still have the beard at the navel of the fruit.
Why are bunches of bananas with intact whiskers more expensive? That’s because the fruits placed on the altar not only have a beautiful appearance and delicious taste, but also have a good symbolic meaning. Folklore believes that bunches of bananas with large, round fruits with intact antennae symbolize fertility, buds, prosperity, and bring luck and prosperity to the homeowner. Therefore, many people are willing to spend a higher amount of money to buy bunches of bananas that meet this criterion to place on the altar.
Bunches of incense-burning bananas with their whiskers intact often command high prices. (Illustration photo: Pinterest)
The reason why people often choose a bunch of bananas with an odd number of fruits to burn incense is that according to the Eastern concept of yin and yang, even numbers belong to yin, odd numbers belong to yang, a number that symbolizes movement and development. Therefore, in the worship ceremony, offerings are prepared in odd numbers, such as the number of fruits displayed (a five-fruit tray with 5 types of fruit, or if offering one type, it is usually displayed 3 – 5 – 7 – 9 … fruit), number of flowers placed on the altar, number of incense sticks burned…
Similarly, people who are picky about worship often choose a bunch of bananas with 15 – 17 – 19 fruits instead of 16 – 18 – 20 fruits. Bunches of bananas have an odd number of fruits, so they are often more expensive.
Why do Northerners often choose bananas and grapefruits to burn incense?
In the five-fruit tray of Northerners, bananas and grapefruit are two important fruits, even considered indispensable by many families. Once they have bananas and grapefruit, they can flexibly choose other fruits to present them beautifully and meaningfully.
The traditional way of displaying the five-fruit tray of Northern people is usually according to the concept of the five elements in ancient Eastern philosophy, 5 types of fruit corresponding to 5 colors symbolizing Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. In particular, a bunch of bananas is the most important ingredient, it must be green bananas, the color symbolizes the Wood element. The yellow color of grapefruit corresponds to the Earth element.
When presenting a five-fruit tray, Northerners often put a bunch of bananas at the bottom and then put a grapefruit in the middle, decorating it with other fruits such as dragon fruit, papaya, and tangerine to make it beautiful.
A bunch of bananas has long fruits facing up like a hand embracing and supporting all other fruits, symbolizing family reunion, gathering, warmth, care and connection. In the middle is a grapefruit symbolizing blessings, implying a wish for well-being and prosperity. The Wood element and the Earth element are both prosperous, showing good harvests and a prosperous and fulfilling life.
On normal full moon days, first days, and death anniversaries, it is not necessary to display a tray of five fruits on the altar. Families often choose beautiful and delicious fruits to offer according to their preferences. However, grapefruit and bananas are still often the most preferred choices.
