Categories: EventsFeatures

Tết Festival Celebrates Portland’s Vietnamese Community

Portland, February 4th. Nearly 10,000 people converged on the Oregon Convention Center to experience Vietnamese culture. The event organized by the nonprofit Vietnamese Community of Oregon drew visitors like Zola, Tanya Ky and Symone Tran. The Tết New Year is a time-honored cultural celebration and a chance for the Vietnamese community to usher in a new year with hopes for good fortune, goodwill and prosperity.

Vietnamese community leaders Tam Tran, Tam Nguyen, Lana Co, and De Tran

Part of the celebration included a beauty pageant to crown the local Miss Vietnam.

Many Vietnamese families take the opportunity to share their cultural heritage with their children.

Traditional dance and music is part of the experience for attendees.

Thomas Tieu and his son, Braden enjoyed the festival.

Community health screenings were also available for attendees who might not otherwise have easy access to health care.

Tết means holiday in Vietnamese and marking the lunar new year is the most popular holiday in Vietnam. Vietnamese people prepare for Tết with traditional rituals such as visiting ancestor’s graves (đi thăm mộ), praying at Temples, visiting relatives and giving lucky money in red envelopes to children.

Elisa Klein

I’ve been a professional journalist and writer since 1987, (and long-time reporter for KOIN-TV.) As a nationally published reporter, with a Master’s Degree in Journalism, I love to report positive news and information. Journalism has also connected me with another non-profit where I served as a leader; the Northwest’s biggest writer’s organization: The Willamette Writers.