How Many Fruits Should You Prepare for Zhongyuan Festival Offerings? 3 Types or 5? How Many Pieces Per Plate? Many People Know 'Four Fruits' But Still Get It Wrong

The 2026 Zhongyuan Festival will fall on August 27 in the Gregorian calendar. Many households, companies, and communities have already begun preparing offerings for the Ghost Festival. In addition to biscuits, instant noodles, and beverages, fruits are also common items on the altar. However, how many types of fruit should you prepare—three, four, or five? Older generations often mention "three sacrificial meats and four fruits"—does this mean you must always use exactly four types of fruit? And how many pieces—three or five—should be placed per type? In fact, Taiwan’s local customs vary significantly, and even the meaning of "four fruits" is often misunderstood.

"Four Fruits" Doesn’t Mean Exactly Four Types of Fruit

Many people hearing "three sacrificial meats and four fruits" instinctively interpret "four fruits" as four different types of fruit. However, according to traditional terminology, it’s not that simple.

Kaohsiung City Government’s News Bureau, in its publication *Kaohsiung Magazine*, introduces Zhongyuan Festival customs, noting that common basic offerings to deities, ancestors, or wandering spirits ("good brothers") include "three sacrificial meats and four fruits," where "four fruits" refers to "seasonal fruits available throughout the year."

The folklore archives at Lu’ermen Gongguan Zangjing Pavilion also state that "four fruits" originally meant "fruits of the four seasons," i.e., fruits produced in each season, which later evolved into the idea of preparing four types of fruit.

Therefore, while many people today do prepare four types of fruit, "four fruits" should not be rigidly interpreted as allowing only four types on the altar—one fewer or one more doesn’t make the offering incorrect.

Should You Prepare 3 or 5 Types of Fruit? Odd Numbers Are Common in Folk Practice

If it’s not strictly four, why do elders often suggest preparing three or five types of fruit?

Taoyuan City’s "Taoyuan Localization Curriculum," introducing worship customs at Renhai Temple in Zhongli District, notes that traditionally, odd numbers are considered yang, so offerings to deities often follow "three fruits or five fruits," with both the number of types and individual pieces arranged in odd numbers.

However, this refers specifically to deity worship. For example, Xinzhuang Dizang’an Temple’s official FAQ states there are "no fixed rules" for offerings—people may prepare them according to personal preference, including fruits and biscuits.

Therefore, if your household lacks specific traditions, you may refer to the common folk practice of using three or five types. But if elders, temples, or community-wide joint ceremonies already have established customs, those should take priority over blindly applying numerical rules.

Rather than worrying whether one extra or missing piece constitutes a "wrong offering," it’s more important to first confirm whether your household or the hosting temple has special requirements, and ensure offerings are properly consumed afterward to avoid waste.

Can Pineapple Be Used for Offerings? Even the Council of Agriculture Once Promoted "Zhao Lai Wang"

Pineapple is another fruit frequently surrounded by conflicting opinions during Ghost Festival offerings.

Some folk customs avoid pineapple because its Hokkien pronunciation "ong-lâi" sounds like "prosperity coming," raising concerns that offering it to wandering spirits might cause them to "grow stronger." However, this is not a universally accepted rule across Taiwanese society.

In fact, when the Council of Agriculture’s materials were archived on the Ministry of Agriculture’s Agricultural Knowledge Portal, they once recommended combining banana, pear, and pineapple to form "Zhao Lai Wang" (招來旺), reinterpreting a once-avoided homophone as an auspicious symbol.

The Council also pointed out that while early rituals had many fruit taboos, modern worshippers can adopt new perspectives when choosing domestic fruits—the sincerity behind the offering matters most.

This shows pineapple is not absolutely forbidden in Ghost Festival offerings. If your household or local custom avoids "ong-lâi," simply follow tradition. But if no such taboo exists, using pineapple isn’t "wrong."

Are Guava and Tomato Also Forbidden? Again, Not a Universal Consensus in Taiwan

Besides banana, plum, pear, and pineapple, guava and tomato frequently appear on lists of "fruits not suitable for offerings."

Taoyuan City’s "Taoyuan Localization Curriculum," introducing traditional worship customs at Renhai Temple, mentions that in the past, some believed tomato and guava seeds could pass through digestion and still germinate when excreted, making them unsuitable for deities based on traditional purity concepts.

However, when promoting domestically grown fruits for Zhongyuan Festival offerings, the Council of Agriculture once proposed pairing pomelo, apple, and guava to create "You Zi Ping An He Le" (佑子平安和樂), turning the names into a lucky phrase.

These examples show that even widely known "fruit taboos" can vary by era, region, and local customs—there’s no single rule like "this must never be used."

How to Prepare Ghost Festival Fruits Without Making Mistakes: Remember These 3 Principles

If your household has no special rules, preparing Ghost Festival fruits doesn’t need to be overly complicated:

First, "four fruits" originally meant "fruits of the four seasons," not that exactly four types must be placed on the altar.

Second, while odd-numbered arrangements (like three or five types) are indeed common in folk worship, there is no nationwide uniform rule for Zhongyuan Festival regarding fruit types or quantities. Always prioritize existing customs of your household, temple, or organizing body.

Third, taboos around banana, plum, pear, pineapple, guava, and tomato mostly stem from regional folklore and homophonic culture—they shouldn’t be treated as universal rules everyone must follow.

Instead of worrying about having one more or one less piece, focus on selecting fresh, intact, seasonal fruits that can actually be eaten after the ceremony. If elders have strong preferences, respect those traditions.