Sample presentation of the five-fruit tray for the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2024 in Vietnam

Sample presentation of the five-fruit tray for the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2024 in Vietnam

The five-fruit tray for the Mid-Autumn Festival Tray or Mid-Autumn Feast Tray is a beautiful traditional practice of Vietnamese people, bearing many profound meanings.

- Wishing for abundance and peace: The Mid-Autumn Feast Tray is often elaborately arranged with various fruits, candies, and delicious dishes. This represents the people's hope for a warm, full, and happy life.

- Reverence for ancestors: The Mid-Autumn Feast Tray is also an occasion for descendants to express gratitude and respect to grandparents and ancestors. Offering the tray on the altar reflects the Vietnamese tradition of filial piety.

- Family reunion: The Mid-Autumn Festival is an occasion for family members to gather together, enjoy the feast tray, and watch the moon. The tray acts as a bond connecting family members.

- Wishing for favorable weather: The Mid-Autumn Feast Tray also signifies the wish for favorable weather, abundant crops, and a prosperous life.

- Symbolizing fullness: The round shape of the mooncake and the full moon symbolize completeness and fullness in life.

*Common fruits usually found in the five-fruit tray for the Mid-Autumn Festival tray:

Mooncake: This is an indispensable item in the Mid-Autumn Feast Tray. Mooncakes come with various fillings, each carrying its unique meaning.

Fruits: The Mid-Autumn Feast Tray is often adorned with various fruits like pomelo, persimmons, apples, pomegranates... symbolizing the diversity and richness of life.

Traditional dishes: Besides mooncakes and fruits, the Mid-Autumn Feast Tray can also include other traditional dishes like sticky rice, tea, and green rice cakes...

Lanterns: Lanterns are an indispensable part of the Mid-Autumn Festival, symbolizing warmth and reunion.

*Meaning of each type of fruit in the Mid-Autumn Feast Tray:

Pomelo: Symbolizes prosperity and abundance.

Persimmons: Symbolizes luck and happiness.

Apples: Symbolizes health and peace.

Pomegranates: Symbolizes fertility and growth.

*Note: The five-fruit tray for the Mid-Autumn Festival tray presentation information is for reference only./.

Sample presentation of the five-fruit tray for the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2024 in Vietnam (Image from the Internet)

Are upper secondary school students entitled to a day off for the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam?

Currently, there is no specific regulation providing that students in general or upper secondary school students in particular are granted a holiday for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Additionally, according to Article 112 of the Labor Code 2019, the regulations on public holidays are as follows:

Public Holidays

1. Employees shall be entitled to fully paid days off on the following public holidays:

a) New Year's Day: 01 day (January 1st Gregorian calendar);

b) Lunar New Year: 05 days;

c) Victory Day: 01 day (April 30th Gregorian calendar);

d) International Labor Day: 01 day (May 1st Gregorian calendar);

e) National Day: 02 days (September 2nd Gregorian calendar and 01 adjacent day either before or after);

f) Hung Kings' Commemoration Day: 01 day (March 10th Lunar calendar).

2. Foreign employees working in Vietnam, in addition to the holidays prescribed in Clause 1 of this Article, are also entitled to one traditional New Year holiday and one National Day holiday of their country.

3. Annually, based on the actual conditions, the Prime Minister will decide specifically on the holidays prescribed in Points b and e, Clause 1 of this Article.

Therefore, Mid-Autumn Festival is not included in the list of holidays employees are entitled to. Since students usually have holidays according to teachers' schedules, and as per the mentioned regulations, teachers do not get a holiday for the Mid-Autumn Festival 2024.

Thus, on this day, upper secondary school students also do not get a holiday. However, upper secondary school students can participate in activities in the evening after school or directly engage in activities organized at their school.

Can upper secondary school students participate in Mid-Autumn Festival activities at school in Vietnam?

For lower secondary and upper secondary school students

The rights of lower and upper secondary school students are specifically stipulated in Article 35 of the Regulations issued together with Circular 32/2020/TT-BGDDT:

- They are entitled to equal access to comprehensive education, ensured conditions in terms of time, facilities, hygiene, and safety for studying at school and self-study at home, provided with information on their study and training, and allowed to use equipment and facilities for academic, cultural, and sports activities organized by the school as per regulations.

- They are respected and protected, treated equally and democratically, entitled to lodge complaints with the school and educational management levels regarding decisions about themselves; entitled to transfer schools for valid reasons as per current regulations; entitled to early, grade-skipping, or advanced age learning as per Article 33 of the Regulations issued together with Circular 32/2020/TT-BGDDT.

- They are allowed to participate in activities aimed at developing talents in subjects, sports, arts organized by the school if they meet the conditions.

- They are eligible for scholarships or other allowances as per regulations applicable to policy beneficiaries, students facing life difficulties, and especially talented students.

- They are entitled to transfer schools if they meet the conditions as per regulations; the transfer procedures follow the regulations of the Minister of Education and Training.

- They enjoy other rights as per legal regulations.

Thus, if the upper secondary school where the students are studying organizes recreational activities on the Mid-Autumn Festival, they can fully participate.