Celebrating Tết in 2024
When I was about four years old, I attended my very first Tết celebration. At the time, we were living in Indianola and my family was helping to resettle a few Vietnamese refugees. These young men wanted to take me to experience a Vietnamese New Year with them. I don’t remember much about the celebration, but I can recall many people in a small space, possibly a church basement. The young men (who became longtime family friends) took turns carrying me around as I was shy and didn’t want to walk on my own. I remember some pretty young women in colorful clothing fawning over me, squeezing my cheeks. One of them gave me a piece of grape bubblegum which I thought was very special.
My two sons and I have attended the Vietnamese New Year celebration in Des Moines over the years. I feel it’s important for them to know about their heritage. They especially enjoy being entertained by the lion dance and eyeing the red envelopes hanging upon the yellow trees.
A formal Tết celebration has been held in Des Moines since 1977. It was first organized by members of the Vietnamese Catholic community. “Different groups have organized it throughout the years until the Vietnamese Community in Iowa (VACI) was established and took over the event planning since 2003,” explains VACI President Vinh Nguyen. Nguyen is the Refugee Education and Workforce Program Manager in Des Moines and is heavily involved in the local Vietnamese community. Once VACI took over the event, the celebration was much larger, however, since COVID the event is smaller due to fewer donations according to Nguyen.
Tết is the most important celebration in Vietnamese culture. The Vietnamese New Year is observed during the first several days of the lunar calendar after the second new moon after the winter solstice. The 2024 Lunar New Year officially began on February 10th.
During Tết, red is worn and used for decorating homes and gatherings. The color red is considered to bring prosperity and good fortune. Children receive red envelopes with money inside and in turn, children formally greet their elders.
People in Vietnam prepare for Tết for weeks in advance. They clean their homes and decorate them with flowers. They get haircuts, shop for new clothes, and cook special dishes.
I had the pleasure of attending this year’s Tết celebration at the Events Center West in West Des Moines on Saturday, February 17th. The day began with the singing of the American and Vietnamese national anthems. Throughout the afternoon, the large crowd was entertained by various local talents including singing and dancing. The VACI lion dancers gave a thrilling performance on stage and collected red envelopes and money from the audience. The lion dancer troupe began practicing weekly in October to prepare for Tết and other local events.
Celebration attendees were treated to a full lunch and frosted sponge cake for dessert. The afternoon ended on a high note with open-mic karaoke.
All were invited back in the evening for traditional food (spring rolls and five-spice barbecue) and drinks and a lively performance by Helena Hong Pham from Orange, California. Pham and her band kept the energy high with popular Vietnamese songs and a cover song or two. The dance floor was full of partygoers enjoying the live music.
Once again, Nguyen and his planning committee provided the community with another successful Tết for all to enjoy.
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I enjoyed learning more about this celebration. Thanks for sharing!