Ringing In The Year of the Rat At The Tet Festival
February 3, 2008
One of the largest Tet Festival celebrations in the state is back for its 12th year, bigger and better than ever, to celebrate the Year of the Rat.
Scrumptious Vietnamese cuisine, exciting entertainment, and diverse arts and crafts and community booths will take over Ellis and Larkin streets on Feb. 3 in celebration of the Vietnamese New Year’s Tet Festival of San Francisco.
Organized by the Vietnamese Community Center of San Francisco, the event takes place in the Little Saigon District of the Tenderloin, home to the largest Vietnamese community in the city.
“The Tet Festival is the only major and significant event in the Tenderloin area each year,” event organizer Lan Le said. “It is symbolic of the changes that occurred in an underprivileged part of the city ever since the Vietnamese refugees came and revived it.”
“The festival offers a good sample of Vietnamese culture and traditions, and it allows non-Vietnamese to discover how the Vietnamese community celebrates the Lunar New Year,” Le added.
Le said the cultural program taking place on the Larkin Street stage will offer high- quality entertainment, because organizers make great effort to attract the best Vietnamese performers living in the United States.
Organizers are especially proud to present pop princess Minh Tuyet, one of the best-selling artists in Vietnamese communities worldwide. She will grace the stage in the afternoon and perform a few of her hits.
Other festival highlights include a performance by the Bach Viet Dance Group and an appearance by Miss Little Saigon 2004 and 2005.
Mayor Gavin Newsom, Police Chief Heather Fong, along with members of the city’s Board of Supervisors, are expected to be in attendance and to help distribute free red envelopes containing lucky money to children.
The program begins at 11 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, firecrackers and lion dancing. At 11:15 a.m., there will be a tribute to the Vietnamese nation’s ancestors.
Throughout the day, children can play games, and seniors will be offered free food vouchers. The public can also participate in a raffle to win the grand prize — 2 ounces of gold.
“Visitors will find the restaurants and Vietnamese fast-food shops in the neighborhood appealing and also a good bargain,” Le said. “The festival offers the public a chance to enjoy themselves in a cozy and friendly atmosphere.”
According to Vietnamese Community Center of San Francisco director Thuy Doan, the festival was started in 1993 as a way for the Vietnamese community to unite, showcase their culture and celebrate Lunar New Year. When the festival first started, it drew only a few thousand people. Now it attracts over 30,000 annually.
Tet Nguyen Dan, or “Tet” for short, is the most important holiday in the Vietnamese culture as it marks the beginning of both spring and the new lunar year. Similar to Chinese New Year, Tet follows the lunar calendar and falls around late January or early February. It is a time for family and friends to come together to share warm wishes, pay respect to their ancestors and enjoy great food.
The 12th annual Vietnamese New Year’s Tet Festival of San Francisco — The Year of the Rat will be held on Feb. 3, 2008, on Larkin and Ellis streets from 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. For more info, visit www.vietccsf.org.
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