Many have heard of Chinese New Year, but this is only part of an umbrella of Lunar New Year festivities celebrated by several East Asian and Southeast Asian communities across the country. Lunar New Year marks the beginning of the lunar calendar and this year, it falls on February 1.
Tết Nguyên Đán, is the Lunar New Year celebration for Vietnamese people, and the Vietnamese Community in New Zealand managed to squeeze in a big-spirited celebratory feast just hours before red settings came into place on midnight Sunday.
One-hundred-and-ninety people attended the Tết event held in Wellington last Sunday, which involved singing competitions, folk games, traditional music and food.
Covid19, and specifically the closed borders have put incredible strain on New Zealand’s migrant communities, who are often separated from their friends and families. The event was a welcome chance for many to celebrate their culture.
