The offering item market has many new products
On the occasion of the full moon of January 2026, besides fresh flowers, fruits, incense and candles... the offering market in Hanoi recorded a more vibrant shopping atmosphere with the rise of many new products and packaged services, notably 3D handicrafts and ready-made vegetarian trays.
Ornamental flowers and peach blossoms with sophisticated shapes and harmonious color coordination attract customers to buy. Ms. Ha Thao Vy - owner of a worship shop in Hanoi - said that 3D flower cakes are handmade from sticky rice flour, yellow flowers and white sugar.
Each product is cast in molds, creating individual petals and then assembled into a complete flower. It will take about 2 days to make a 3D flower, requiring meticulousness and patience" - Ms. Thao Vy shared.
The price of flower cakes ranges from 500,000 - 700,000 VND/flower, peach cakes from 250,000 VND or more. Customers often buy in pairs or sets to display on the altar, then offer offerings to receive blessings.
Most of the orders are sold online, on average my store receives about 10 customers ordering each day. Close to the full moon, the store is almost fully booked, customers have to order a few days in advance to have time to deliver" - Ms. Thao Vy said.
Along with offerings, this year's vegetarian feast service also recorded a significant increase in orders. Ms. Truong Thi Le Nhung - owner of a shop specializing in ordering vegetarian feasts in Hanoi - said that on average, the shop serves about 400 - 500 customers per day during peak season.
Specifically, 3 days before and on the full moon day, we receive a maximum of 70-80 applications each day, sometimes having to stop receiving more due to overload" - Ms. Nhung said.
According to Ms. Nhung, this year's trend is that customers focus on ordering vegetarian feasts according to ready-made sets instead of choosing each dish. Sets are designed with enough sticky rice, soup, stir-fried dishes, braised dishes, spring rolls, sweet soup... convenient for displaying on the altar and entertaining guests. The price of vegetarian feasts ranges from 1.4 - 1.9 million VND, depending on the number of dishes and individual requirements.
Few customers order boiled chicken with roses in its mouth
Contrary to the excitement of the creative offering segment and pre-ordered vegetarian feasts, records at some traditional markets show that this year's boiled chicken stuffed with roses is quite quiet.
At Gia Ngu street market (Hanoi), Ms. Pham Thu Yen - a small trader selling boiled chicken - said: "Compared to the same period last year, customers' shopping demand during this year's full moon holiday decreased by about 30%.
Currently, the price of boiled chicken at the market ranges from 400,000 - 500,000 VND/chicken; large chickens weighing about 3kg can be up to 600,000 VND. Sticky rice has two popular prices: 30,000 VND and 50,000 VND/plate.
Buyers are also starting to tighten spending during the full moon of the first lunar month this year. Ms. Pham Minh Anh - a customer in Hanoi - said: "Previously, my family often offered chickens and spring rolls fully. This year, we only buy sticky rice and spring rolls for rituals, mainly sincerely.
According to Ms. Hoang Dung - a small trader at Gia Ngu street market, it is expected that on the full moon day, sticky rice and spring rolls will sell better than chicken.
According to estimates, on the 15th of the lunar month, the store can sell 50 - 70 plates of sticky rice. On the 14th of the lunar month, it reaches about 80% compared to peak times. Although there is no longer a scene of jostling to buy chickens like in previous years, the shopping atmosphere at the market is still busier than usual when every family prepares for the New Year's worship ceremony" - Ms. Dung said.
