About Lunar New Year / Tết

Lunar New Year, known as Tết in Vietnamese culture, is one of the most significant and cherished celebrations in Asian communities worldwide. This ancient festival marks the beginning of the lunar calendar year and symbolizes renewal, family reunion, and hope for prosperity. For Vietnamese families, Tết represents a time to honor ancestors, strengthen family bonds, and welcome good fortune for the year ahead. Traditional celebrations include preparing special foods, decorating homes with flowers and symbols of luck, exchanging red envelopes (lì xì) for good fortune, and gathering with loved ones to reflect on the past year while embracing new beginnings.

For Vietnamese and Asian communities that fled after the Fall of Saigon following decades of war, arriving in America meant starting over in an unfamiliar land. As refugees worked to rebuild their livelihoods and establish new roots, Lunar New Year celebrations served a crucial function—providing a place of familiarity and community connection in their adopted homeland. This ancient tradition became more than just a cultural observance; it became an essential anchor that helped displaced families reorient themselves, maintain their identity, and forge bonds with fellow community members navigating similar challenges of resettlement.

Today, this festival tradition is evolving to reflect the Vietnamese American community's increasing prosperity and growing relationships with other communities. The Lunar New Year Tết Festival: Introducing Mardi Gras & Asian Cajun Village celebrates this cultural evolution by honoring the unique story of Vietnamese refugees who settled in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. These communities integrated with local Cajun culture, giving birth to a distinctive Asian-Cajun fusion that represents the resilience and adaptability of Vietnamese Americans. While Mardi Gras and Lunar New Year may seem unrelated, they share a deep connection through their function in the annual agricultural cycle—both festivals traditionally mark the transition from winter's scarcity to spring's abundance, celebrating renewal and community resilience. This innovative fusion honors our shared agricultural heritage while showcasing how Vietnamese American culture continues to evolve and thrive in diverse communities across America.

The festival is co-hosted by Community Partners Advocate of Little Saigon Sacramento (cPALSs), Vietnamese American Community of Sacramento (VACOS), and Norcal Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce (NVCC). The event in Elk Grove builds on decades of cultural celebrations in the Sacramento region, with generous support from our sponsors, donors, and volunteers.

We hope you consider supporting our culturally-oriented and community-driven festival as a part of this historical moment for our community.

Festival posters over the years