By Izzy Lewy
January 23, 2012 began the Year of the Dragon for the many cultures that follow the lunar calendar. Tét is the Vietnamese Lunar New Year and is also the most important holiday in the Vietnamese culture. Tét is a lot alike the Lunar New Year in other Asian countries is known to be celebrated for the arrival of the spring and can run up to 3-7 days of celebration in late January to early February.
This year Asian Community and Cultural Center invited everyone to the Tét celebration at the Sheldon Art Museum, located at the UN-L campus at 12th and R street. The celebration started at 5 p.m. on Friday, January 27, 2012 and was free to all.
There were samples of amazing traditional Vietnamese Tét food and Mr. Dau Nguyen as a speaker. There were also performances by Linh Quang Temple Lion Dancers, Karen youth singers, a Chinese dance, and a Vietnamese vocalist. For the young kids, craft tables and activities were set up for them. At approximately 6:30 they played a movie called The Journey of Vaan Nguvenat. According to The Asian Community and Cultural Center Staff, “this film tells the story of a Vietnamese girl living in Israel who decides to go home and visit Vietnam.”
The President of the Vietnamese Community of Lincoln, Mr. Dau Nguyen, had a speech that day for everyone to hear. It explained the different dances and celebrations in comparison to the American way of celebrating our own. It also showed a lot of cultural facts for those who did not know, including why they had the dancing and singing. People were amazed by the cultural events and the food. The audience awed and faces lit up when the Lion Dance began as they watched the Linh Quang Temple Lion Dancers perform. Children filled the seats at the tables with crafts for the majority of the night.
The Asian Community and Cultural Center has a bit of their own history as well. They were founded in 1994 and have been supported by donations and grants throughout the years. According to their website, they have been an “independent non-profit, 501(c)(3), organization since 1998.”
The Asian Center wishes us all a, “Happy New Year! Chúc mừng năm mới!”