The Caishen Day (God of Wealth Day or Than Tai in Vietnamese) occurs on the 10th day of the first lunar month (Feb. 21 this year). The common belief is that people can invite luck into their lives by buying gold and gold-related products on that day. At least one bakery is catering to this trend literally with cakes looking like real pots of gold. A bakery on Lo Duc Street in Hanoi’s Hai Ba Trung District has been selling these cakes for five years now. Customers place them on the altar as an offering for Caishen before consuming them. This year, the number of pre-orders for the cake was much higher than usual, its owner said. A golden jar cake costs VND300,000- 480,000 ($13-21) depending on its size. It has to be consumed within three days. The cake has several layers. It has fresh cream and mango sauce inside and the outside is covered with golden cream before being topped off with golden chocolate coins. Duong Vu Khanh Ly, a 22-year-old resident of Dong Da District, said she buys the cake every year to invite fortune for the family, but this year, she is also gifting it to others for luck. "The cake is very eye-catching and looks amazing, so it is a very suitable gift. It is also a more practical choice for me because buying real gold does not match my budget right now," she said. In addition to the golden jar shaped cake, customers can choose cakes that look like ancient currency. The filling inside is custom modified, but the most popular ones are pineapple and mango. The cakes shaped like ancient currency are also in high demand on Caishen Day. Photo courtesy of Sam De Gatêaux Most bakeries say the number of customers this year is higher, and there has been a surge in the number of online orders. Khanh Vy, who runs an online bakery, said: "This year, the number of cakes sold has tripled compared to other years." …
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