Buying Grilled Snakehead on God of Wealth's Day

Thousands of fish are sold on the occasion each year (Photo: VNE)

Feb. 10 this year in the solar calendar is called God of Wealth's Day when the Vietnamese rush to buy gold and pray to the God of Wealth for financial fortune in the new year.

As the day comes, hundreds of grilled snakehead fish stalls emerge in Ho Chi Minh City The custom only appears in the south of Vietnam, mostly in Saigon, and is unfamiliar to central and northern people.

A seller in Ho Chi Minh City grills the fish. (Photo: VNE)

Why did the tradition begin?

Several kinds of meat are added in offering trays for the God of Wealth, including pork, shrimp, and crab. Southerners add snakehead fish to the tray.

The fish must be kept whole, without cutting off its tail and fins. Then, the cook sticks a long sugarcane stick through its mouth to the fin to straighten the fish.

A fish is garnished before being given to buyers. (Photo: VNE)

No one knows exactly why and when the tradition started. Many people believe snakehead fish is the signature dish of the Southern region and shows gratitude for nature and gods and respect for the ancestors.

Some believe that grilled snakehead fish is the God of Wealth's favorite dish. Some say it recalls the old days when Southerners lived in poor conditions and struggled to make a living.

In Oriental belief, fish symbolizes wealth, luck, and success. By offering fish, Southerners also pray that they will meet fewer struggles, "as natural as fish in water."

Photo: Thanh Nien

Traditional customs in modern days

This year God of Wealth's Day, grilled snakehead fish was sold at many markets in Ho Chi Minh City. The fish placed on the charcoal stove was continuously fanned by sellers, releasing an attractive scent.

Nguyen Trung revealed that his stall had been running at full capacity over the past two days.

"Every year, I import about 3,000 snakeheads (five tons) from Binh Dien wholesale market for the God of Wealth Day," the 68-year-old seller said.

Depending on size, each grilled snakehead fish costs between VND170,000-200,000 ($7.49-8.81). This year, the price increased slightly over the previous year.

Besides its spiritual meaning, many people buy snakehead fish just because they love it.

“On the God of Wealth's Day, I sell grilled snakehead fish from early morning to late evening. Some people buy grilled snakehead fish in the early morning for worship, some buy the fish for lunch or dinner. They just love the dish," said Bay, a seller in Thi Nghe market.

Waiting for her turn to get a grilled fish, Nguyen Thi Cuc said: "When I went to the market today, I saw many stalls selling grilled snakehead fish so I bought some. My husband loves it."

Tran Thi Lieu said she bought the dish every year: "The market near my house normally does not sell this dish. Sometimes if I crave grilled fish, I have to drive really far. So I take advantage of this occasion to buy the dish for my family."

Photo: Thanh Nien

Overseas Vietnamese Making Green Banh Chung Celebrate Tet in Foreign Land To bring the Tet tradition atmosphere to the oversea Vietnamese, especially the workers who are far from home, from 25 to 28 January 2022, the ...

Explain Vietnamese Culture: Why Coriander Used to Purifie Soul and Body for New Year Boiling up the coriander and bathing with fragrant water is a ritual prescription for a thorough Tet cleansing.

YouTubers in Highlands Introduce Vietnamese Culture to the World Without millions of subscribers, the meaningful work for the homeland of young Vietnamese YouTubers leaves a good impression on many viewers.