Photo Story: Vietnamese Student Association holds its annual Tết festival, Xuân Đã Về, to celebrate the Lunar New Year
March 17, 2024
By Kolden Lam
The annual event, which means “spring has sprung,” celebrates the year of the dragon and Tết, also known as Lunar New Year
On Feb. 16, the Vietnamese Student Association spent the evening at their annual Tết festival to start the Lunar New Year.
A banner that reads “Happy New Year” hangs on the wall along with many other red decorations on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024 at Memorial Union in Columbia, Mo. VSA holds “Xuân Đã Về,” which translates to “spring has sprung,” to highlight the start of the spring season. According to the Chinese calendar, this year follows the fifth of the 12 animals represented in the Chinese zodiac: the dragon. Those who are born in the year of the dragon are said to be confident, intelligent and enthusiastic.Isabela Cruz aims a polaroid camera to take a photo before sitting at a table. At the formal event, guests were given a few souvenirs, a brochure listing the performances and a menu of the food that was served. Students could also take polaroid pictures to keep as a momento.VSA President Toan Vu announces the winner of a game, where participants had to guess the number of assorted fruit jelly cups in a jar, along with raffle winners. Prizes included t-shirts, stuffed animals and more. “Tết is about community, bonding with those around you and partaking in traditional customs that my family has also done,” Vu said.Members of the VSA executive board serve students with food catered by restaurants like Okii Mama, Bobaholic and Chim’s Thai Kitchen. The food ranged from bánh mì, a Vietnamese sandwich made with fresh, pickled vegetables and meats, to chè thái, a tropical cocktail of fruit jellies and sweet milk.Public Relations Chair Vy Vu and the VSA executive board serves food to students. The board was divided into different committees to make this event thrive, from decorations to the food served. “I just remember going to church as a kid,” Vu said. “We would go outside and see lion dances, and we were able to pet them and give them money, kinda like tokens of prosperity and luck. I guess it means family and spending time and being able to immerse myself in the culture.”Vice President Tien Truong talks about the traditional customs of Lunar New Year and interesting facts about the year of the dragon. Those who are born in 1988, 2000, 2012 and 2024 are born in the dragon years.For the first performance, the women of VSA perform a traditional fan dance that is popular in Vietnamese culture. The movements of the fan dancers are meant to delight the audience and imitate flowers. The dance is a unique art that has gained popularity throughout countries of Southeast Asia.The Filipino Student Association performs a traditional Philippine folk dance called Tinikling. The music FSA used was “DOLLA SIGN SLIME” by Lil Nas X featuring Megan Thee Stallion. Other performances included a K-pop dance by the Korean Student Association and a Bollywood fusion dance by Mizzou Masti.The Kansas City Lion Dance Team performs one last act — a lion dance — to conclude the event. The lion entertained and interacted with many students while performing different stunts like grabbing red envelopes off the ceiling, which was a great way to end the night and start the new year.
Edited by Michael Baniewicz | mbaniewicz@themaneater.com
Copy Edited by Logan Gee and Briana Iordan | biordan@themaneater.com
Edited by Scout Hudson | shudson@themaneater.com
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