The Garden City Telegram
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Celebrating Tet
Published 2/8/2010 in Local News
By RACHAEL GRAY
Jason Tran and his cousin, Elizabeth Dinh, love the lucky money.
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Brad Nading/Telegram Kenny Trieu, 2, dressed in traditional clothing, and his mom, Kim, watch Garden City High School's Modern Show Choir perform Sunday during the annual Vietnamese Tet New Year celebration at Fiesta Courtyard.
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Brad Nading/Telegram Buddhist priests light incense and candles Sunday during the traditional Tet New Year celebration Sunday at Fiesta Courtyard. Shown from left are Thomas Nguyen, Van De Nguyen and Ngoc Chuong Nguyen.
It's not something they can use or spend right away, but the cousins like to collect it each year at the local Tet celebration, a celebration that recognizes the Lunar New Year.
Jason, 8, a third-grader at St. Dominic Catholic School, and Elizabeth, 6, Liberal, gave the money to their parents and had them hold on to it Sunday at the Tet Celebration at Fiesta Courtyard, 1810 Buffalo Jones Ave.,
Shelly Dinh, executive director for the Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Association, and Tran's mother, said the money is put into a bank account for the children to either use for checking accounts or college funds, or both, when they get older.
"It's traditional. They get the money to be better, to behave better and grow up better," she said.
Children rushed to the front of the room Sunday to collect the little red envelopes, each with $2 in them.
City officials, special invited guests and older people in the Vietnamese community handed out the money.
Tet marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year, and on Sunday, the local community welcomed 2010, the year of the Tiger, and bid farewell to 2009, the year of the Ox.
Tet is the Vietnamese New Year, which is based on the lunar calendar and is celebrated on the same day as the Chinese New Year.
In the lunar calendar, people born in 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998 and 2010 fall under the Tiger sign.
The celebration began with the "Star Spangled Banner" and "Thanh Nie^n Ha`nh Khu'c" or "Call to the Youth," the national anthem of Vietnam.
Mayor Nancy Harness then addressed the Vietnamese community and their guests.
She wished them a prosperous new year and thanked them for the contributions they have made to the community.
"We thank you for your language, food, community and smart children," she said.
After Harness spoke, men lit candles to commence the celebration.
Youth of the community beat drums, crashed cymbals and danced under a dragon costume as young children threw some of their lucky money into the dragon's mouth.
Dinh said whoever allows the dragon to eat the lucky money gains good luck and prosperity for that year.
The community and crowd enjoyed a buffet of typical Vietnamese dishes of rice noodles, fried rice, chicken, pork, egg rolls and other food.
The Garden City High School show choir and dance team performed and provided entertainment during the meal.
City Manager Matt Allen and City Human Resources Director Michelle Stegman also addressed the community and wished them a happy new year.
Stegman encouraged and appreciated the celebration of diversity, recognizing the Vietnamese community as one that makes the area culturally rich and diverse.
"It makes Garden City a better place to live," she said.
Garden City's Vietnamese committee and the Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Association, as well as others in the local Asian community, helped organize the local Tet celebration.
Dinh estimated between 400 and 500 people attended the celebration.
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