Tet Nguyen Dan – or Tet – is the Vietnamese celebration of the Lunar New Year.
Experience this unique celebration at the 11th Annual Tet Festival in the Lincoln Business District, this Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The highlight of the event will be “The Blessing, the Heavenly Dog Ceremony,” which will feature Tacoma’s Vietnamese Youth Martial Arts Association dancing in the traditional dragon costume.
They will begin their dance at South 38th and G streets and move along South 38th Street toward Yakima Avenue, blessing businesses along the way.
Business owners will give the dancers offerings of money or food in exchange for blessings of luck and prosperity.
The Asian celebration marks the beginning of spring and is a time for family reunions, exchanging gifts, best wishes, correcting one’s faults, forgiving others and paying debts – to start the new year with a clean slate.