Tet

Chúc Mừng Năm Mời! Một Năm Mời Kỷ Hợi, 2019!

Happy New Year! Year of the Pig, 2019!

Tết is the Vietnamese name for the Lunar New Year! Tết is more than just a quick celebration and a few fireworks. Tết is about a 7 days long celebration filled with religious significance, traditions, and family time. It is the longest holiday of the year in Vietnam! Tết, is the most important festival of the Vietnamese people. It is a time of celebration by flocking back to their family homes, enjoying lavish, large meals, paying respect to our elders and parents, and spending time with family. For children, they eagerly await “Mừng Tuổi”, a gift when parents, grandparents, or relatives present a gift of “Li Xi” or “lucky money” in traditional red envelopes, and offer words of wisdom or advice for the coming year. Tết, is a time for renewal, to start afresh, but more importantly, Tết is time for family, a time to share joy, laughter, food, and love.

At the NDS celebration, Father Minh, and the Vietnamese seminarians brought language, cuisine, music and arts, and traditions of the Vietnamese culture to NDS. The celebration consisted of:  traditional gowns worn by seminarians and guests, traditional dances, given by youth groups of various Vietnamese parishes here in New Orleans, and lots of Vietnamese cuisines to enjoy. The Vietnamese seminarians also played, Fear Factor (Vietnamese version) with the audience to taste special cuisines of the Vietnamese culture such as Durian, Hot Vietnamese Peppers, and Balut. The NDS Tet celebration was an opportunity for the seminary community to get a taste of Vietnamese culture.