By Cameron Lee
December 30, 2024
Similar to how Thanksgiving and Christmas are a time for families in Western cultures to reconnect, Tết in Vietnamese culture is an opportunity to replenish spirits with loved ones and prepare for the new year. Children during this time often wear red and receive envelopes of the same color (lai see) with money from their elders to bring good fortunes. Decorations like flowers and plants adorn houses, fireworks light up the streets, cultural dances are showcased, and ancestors are remembered.
The Vietnamese Association of Charlotte has been organizing the city’s Tết Festival (which takes place on January 19) since its inception in 1993.
“Lunar New Year is a very, very joyful time celebrated with friends and family,” said Alex Bui, President of the Vietnamese Association of Charlotte. “It’s the one time of year where you forget about what you’re doing or where you work and you come back home and spend time with your family. The entire country might shut down for like a week or two.”
Bui’s family was situated on the east side of Charlotte in 1980 during the “second wave” of migration after the fall of Saigon, following the end of the Vietnam War. According to the North Carolina State Data Center, the Vietnamese population in the entire state in 1980 was 2,391. Today, over 41,677 live in North Carolina, according to the World Population Review’s estimation.
A financial advisor, Bui was inspired to help educate the Vietnamese community on financial literacy after attending a career development workshop organized by the city. He first volunteered for nonprofits like the Carolinas Asian Chamber of Commerce and the Vietnamese Association of Charlotte, before becoming president of the VAC in 2021.
“It [financial advising] allows me to do this community stuff, which is kind of like my second job and my passion,” he said. “I see the community really needs help, and there’s so many resources out there that they’re unaware of, and my goal is to really bring them [resources] front and center.”
One of Bui and the Vietnamese Association of Charlotte’s biggest accomplishments thus far has been 2024’s Tết Festival, which saw thousands at the Oasis Shriners in University City. The event was packed full of attendees and sold out of food early, so Bui decided to expand the event for 2025, moving to the much larger Liberty Hall at Park Expo, which offers more space for vendors, entertainment, and activities.
This year’s event will offer a more expansive food menu that will feature authentic Vietnamese classics from Banh Mi Brothers, Nguyen’s Noodles & Tea, Thao Kitchen (Bún Bò Huế), and ShareTea, along with Filipino food truck, Kuya Bear Food. You can also expect to find Thai street food from Rai Lay Thai at Southend, and fresh nigiri and maki by Oshima Sushi Club. Traditional Tết Festival dishes like Vietnamese sticky rice cake (bánh tét), thịt kho (caramelized pork belly), and bitter melon soup (canh khổ qua) will also be available for purchase.
Celebrating the Year of the Snake, the festival will exhibit some cool visual elements as well, including a 30-foot balloon installation, a mini lantern village mimicking the city of Hội An, and some fun photo booths. It will also cater to kids with lion dance performances, origami, lantern crafting, tiara decorating, face painting, traditional Vietnamese games, and a large bounce house. And, for the first time ever, the VAC will present a special Vietnamese Night Concert following the festival headlined by pop singers Khải Đăng and Hoàng Thúy Vy.
Another integral aspect of the VAC’s Tết Festival is their annual Miss & Mister Vietnam of the Carolinas, which not only showcases talented young Vietnamese students in the community, but also traditional clothing like the national garment, áo dài, and customary dances like vũ phiến (fan dance).
For Celina Truong, who was a participant in last year’s pageant and currently a student at UNC Charlotte studying public health, Miss & Mister Vietnam was an opportunity to rediscover her Vietnamese roots and be more involved in the community. Now a coordinator for Miss Vietnam of the Carolinas and a culture chair for the Vietnamese Student Association at UNC Charlotte, she is helping to organize the university’s 10th annual Viet Night on April 6.
“There’s not a lot of Viet people where I live…I entered Miss Vietnam of the Carolinas, which allowed me to step into my culture and meet wonderful people while learning how to embrace being Vietnamese,” Truong said.
Tết Festival is not only an event for those to come learn about Vietnamese culture, but an opportunity for many American-born kids in the states to reconnect with their heritage.
“I think overall, it’s a great experience to learn more about the Lunar New Year…and how they can get more involved…while also enjoying really good food, seeing performances they’ve never seen before, and just being more active in the community,” Troung said.
The VAC, which also produces the Mid-Autumn Festival that took place at the Asian Market in East Charlotte back in September, has a greater purpose than just organizing grand events like Tết Festival. The nonprofit raises money for their financial and career development workshops and health clinics throughout the year– Bui and the VAC also have bigger aspirations for a Vietnamese community center in Charlotte.
“We want to share our culture with the public and anybody that wants to learn,” he said. “I want to welcome everybody to come out and experience Vietnamese culture…you can get a taste of what it’s like at our events.”
Tết Festival will take place on Sunday, January 19, 2025 at Park Expo. Admission for Tết Festival is $15 and the event will start at 10 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. with the building reopening for the Vietnamese Night Concert ($30) from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Follow the Vietnamese Association of Charlotte on Instagram and Facebook for more updates on Tết Festival.
This article is brought to you ad-free by the Vietnamese Association of Charlotte.
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