Millions of people around the globe will say goodbye to year of the pig and hello to year of the rat at midnight today.
Friday marks the Lunar New Year, called "Tet" by the Vietnamese. While it is a holiday celebrated particularly in Asian countries, it also will be celebrated by The Vietnam Center at Texas Tech.
Steve Maxner, director of the Vietnam Center, said the center will host a celebration of food and culture in the Formby Room of the Southwest Collection library Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. and everyone is invited to attend the event at no charge.
Maxner said the "Tet" celebration is important to the center and the Vietnamese culture because it is one of the largest holidays on the Vietnamese calendar, full of traditions much like those celebrated at Thanksgiving in the United States.
Phuong Hoang, a sophomore chemistry major from Da Nang, Vietnam, said "Tet," which is celebrated over a three-day period, is a time for her family to spend together.
"The first people that you visit are your grandparents, if they are alive, and then your relatives like cousins, uncles and aunts," Hoang said. "The first day is for family. The second day is usually for friends and neighbors. And the third day is anybody that you haven't visited."
She said many children look forward to the red-envelope tradition, where family members give children a red envelop with a small amount of money for health and luck in the New Year. Older members of the family, such as grandparents, also may receive an envelope.
Huy Trinh, a freshman business major from Da Lat, Vietnam, said part of the tradition for his family is to visit the graveyard where his ancestors are buried. They sometimes light candles or bring flowers.
The traditional flower for "Tet" in the southern part of Vietnam is Hoa Mai, a yellow flower that does not grow well in the cooler climates further north in Vietnam. The northern part of Vietnam celebrates with Hoa Dao, a pink flower that is less susceptible to colder temperatures.
Trinh said there also is a fair in his hometown to celebrate the New Year where many people go to play games or see a fireworks show. The dragon dance, which involves several people dressed as a dragon dancing to drums, also is performed as part of the celebration, although that tradition traveled from Chinese culture.
Hoang said the traditional food of "Tet" includes banh chung, a square cake and banh tet, a cylindrical cake. Both cakes are made with beans and meat in the middle of rice, which is covered in a banana leaf and cooked all day.
Maxner said The Vietnam Center celebration will include a short presentation about the holiday followed by fellowship and a selection of traditional Vietnamese foods.
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