"This is the year of the horse," Vietnamese language instructor Le Pham Thuy-Kim said shortly before the opening of Saturday's Vietnamese lunar year celebrations known as "Tet" at Neeb Hall.
With the stage decorated with yellow flowers known in Vietnam as "hoa
mai," Vietnamese students at ASU displayed a slice of their culture to
friends from different parts of the world with songs, dances and a taste of exotic food.
Tet marks the beginning of spring and the most important and auspicious holiday to all Vietnamese people. Though Tet begins in Vietnam only on Feb. 12, the Vietnamese community decided to hold the fiesta three days earlier.
"The Vietnamese lunar new year or Tet is one of the most important holidays in Vietnam," Kim said.
She added that back home in Vietnam, people living in the countryside
celebrated Tet for a month while those living in cities held celebrations for a week. Officially, the celebration lasts only for three days. The
festival also involves the custom of "Li xi" or "goodluck money" wherein
elders give money wrapped in gold decorated envelopes to children.
Kim said the festival has had its influence from Chinese culture but is
slightly different.
"Tet is a joyful time of reunion of all family members, both living and dead. It is a time to remember and pay respect to ancestors, older people and to express love and caring for friends and relatives," Kim said.
This is third annual Tet celebration being organized by the Vietnamese
community at ASU.
"I have been teaching here for the last ten years and we initially had only small parties for students. But over the last two
years we have held this festival in a big way," Kim said.
Saturday's fiesta featured authentic Vietnamese food and was jointly
organized by the Program for Southeast Asian Studies, Vietnamese
Language Program, Vietnamese Student Association and the Students Association for Southeast Asians at ASU.
"This is a really good opportunity for people to learn about Vietnam
and understand the culture," Maria Duncan, a participant in the Vietnamese dance and a senior at ASU said.
According to Kim, there are over 500 Vietnamese students currently
studying at ASU.
Watch the Slideshow: Vietnamese Celebration