Vietnamese New Year is known as Tet which is short for Tet Nguyen Dan; it is considered the biggest and most popular festival of the year in Vietnam. Celebrated on the first day of the first month in the lunar calendar, Tet is the occasion for Vietnamese to express their respect and remembrance for their ancestors as well as welcoming the New Year with their beloved family members. It is the longest holiday of the year, which may last up to seven days depending on the particular region of Vietnam.

In the past, Tet was essential as it provided one of the very few long breaks during the agricultural year, as it was held between the harvesting of the crops and the sowing of the next ones. One can imagine Tet as a combination of Christmas and New Year’s, with many traditions that American students will recognize. During Tet, families get together to decorate their houses, Tet trees and have big meals.

CULTUREALL ARTISTIC EXPERIENCES

Join us for this special series of workshops that celebrate world art and culture.  Led by CultureAll Ambassadors, each workshop will feature hands-on opportunities to experiences the arts – from dance to music to paper crafts and more!  This series is made possible with support from the Urbandale Public Library Foundation and Arlene Dabill & Bruce Bernard. 

Workshop Schedule

(Dates/times and topics are subject to change- please check our events calendar for up-to-date information and more complete workshop descriptions.  No workshop in March.)  Registration is required for each workshop.

February 20 @ 6:00 PM – Lunar New Year with Ambassador Vinh Nguyen

April 16 @ 6:00 PM – West African Drumming with Ambassador Anthony Stevens

May 21 @ 6:00 PM – Avram and His Accordion with Ambassador Abe Goldstien