Lunar New Year or Tết Nguyên Đán, is the most significant celebration for Vietnamese around the world. During this time families reunite and honour their ancestors, while praying for luck, prosperity and health in the new year. Through Tết in Boston we hope to provide a safe space and transport to a time of celebration.
This year our theme is Year of the Dragon: Xuân Âu Lạc. Our theme references a Vietnamese proverb “con rồng cháu tiên” or “children of the dragon (Lạc Long Quân) and grandchildren of the fairy (Âu Cơ)”.
One version of the story tells how a revered water dragon king, Lạc Long Quân, and a beautiful descendant of mountain fairies, Âu Cơ, fell in love and gave birth to the first 100 Vietnamese people. But the two could not stay together as Lạc Long Quân belonged to the sea and Âu Cơ could not live underwater, so he took 50 children to the sea and she took 50 children to the mountains. And with Âu Cơ went their oldest son, Hùng Lân, who would become the first Vietnamese king and dynasty of ancient Vietnamese history.
Tết in Boston
