In late January or early February each year on the first day of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, the Vietnamese celebrate Tết . The most important celebration in Vietnam all year, Tết  is a beautiful time for families to spend together.  During Tết  the past year’s hardships are set aside, and the focus turns to the blessings of the year to come.  Tết  is a time of rebirth, where homes are cleaned, beautiful  new clothes are donned and prayers are sent out for a fresh start. Many families create alters to welcome anscestors during this sacred time, with offerings of Vietnamese food made especially for the Tết  celebration.  Streets and homes are decorated with the rich, vibrant colors of red and yellow- colors that the Vietnamese believe bring luck.  Flowing ‘ao dai’ and conical hats called ‘non la’ are donned in the same gorgeous colors bringing luck to all who wear them.

Seattle’s annual Tết Festival is organized by Tết in Seattle (TIS) a non-profit designed to “preserve and promote the Vietnmaese culture and heritage and to enrich cultural diversity in the greater Seattle area.” Their efforts culminate each year in the Tết  Festival. This year the celebration will be celebrated  January 18 and 19 at Seattle Center’s Armory, Fisher Pavilion and Seattle Center Pavilion.  It will feature food trucks, a health fair, live performances (including lion dances), activities and more designed to delight the entire family.

Highlights include:

Tết Fashion Show: A gorgeous display of culture the TIS Fashion Show is a showcase of Lunar New Year through attire.

Cooking Competition: A taste of Tết’s traditional dishes. This is a competition not to be missed.

Mental Health Mural: The Mental Health Mural will be a collection of beautiful anonymous experiences of our community’s experiences as Vietnamese American/Asian Americans collected and displayed in mural form. This beautiful new addition to the festival,  will be on display beginning January 18th in the Cultural Village in the Seattle Center Armory Loft.

Things to Note:

• The Tết  Festival is free for all to enjoy.  Vietnamese food and other cultural items will be available for purchase.
• To learn more about Tết in Seattle and their mission. Read more here.
• At the time of this article’s publication, the schedule of events was not available. Check here for updates.