Some pagodas and churches in the US organized music and dance programs to welcome the new year early on January 13 and 14. For example, in Richmond City (Virginia - USA), on January 14, many Vietnamese people flocked to Vien Giac Pagoda (2208 Mountain Road) to participate in the new year festival with lion dances, fashion shows...

Spring festival at Vien Giac pagoda. Photo: Richmond Times Dispatch

"We don't have many Asian cultural festivals in Richmond. The festival is an opportunity for Americans to learn more about our culture and at the same time make Richmond more fun," Ken Dao, the Richmond Times Dispatch, quoted Dao as saying. Moreover, this is also an opportunity to connect the young generation of Vietnamese in the US with the roots of their national culture.

Attending the New Year festival at Vien Giac Pagoda, Kim Nguyen (50 years old) said that the best memory of Tet when she was young was the times she went back to her hometown to visit her grandparents. Kim Nguyen recalled: "Everyone had a whole week off. During the first three days, we cooked and prepared a lot of things. Then, we did nothing, just enjoyed it."

Children enjoy a lion dance performance at Vien Giac Pagoda in Richmond City on January 14. Photo: Richmond Times Dispatch

Photo: Richmond Times Dispatch

Photo: Richmond Times Dispatch

The Vietnamese community in Virginia held a festival to celebrate Lunar New Year at the Dulles Expo Center on January 14 and 15.

The conical hat dance is at the Lunar New Year festival at the Dulles Expo Center in Virginia. Photo: The Arlington Catholic Herald

Lunar New Year Festival at Dulles Expo Center, Virginia, takes place on January 14 and 15. Photo: The Arlington Catholic Herald

Making cotton candy at the Lunar New Year Festival at the Dulles Expo Center in Virginia. Photo: The Arlington Catholic Herald

In Boston (Massachusetts), the Vietnamese community in Boston on January 15 organized a Tet fair called "Spring of Hope" with lion dance performances, martial arts, music, fashion shows, lucky money, lucky draw prizes...

Next, on January 18, Fields Corner Library (in Boston) held a Lunar New Year festival with many Vietnamese dishes, handicrafts, music performances...

The Vietnamese community in Boston on January 15 organized a Tet fair called "Spring of Hope". Photo: Twitter

The Vietnamese community in Boston on January 15 organized a Tet fair called "Spring of Hope". Photo: Twitter

Meanwhile, in Westminster City (Orange County, California - USA), young people contributed to making the Tet atmosphere here more bustling. On January 17, the Vietnamese-American Cultural Club and Westminster High School performed many interesting performances to welcome Tet at DeMille Elementary School (near Little Saigon, Orange County, California).

Westminster High School students and the Vietnamese-American Cultural Club perform a lion dance to the delight of children at DeMille Elementary School on January 17. Photo: Orange County Register

The Vietnamese-American Cultural Club and Westminster High School performed many interesting performances to celebrate Tet at DeMille Elementary School on January 17. Photo: Orange County Register

Performance at DeMille Elementary School on January 17. Photo: Orange County Register

Joining the spring atmosphere, many Vietnamese communities in Australia also enthusiastically organized traditional Tet festivals. The Vietnamese community in Bankstown (southwest of Sydney) welcomed the new year with the "Bankstown Tet Fair 2023 celebrating the Year of the Cat" on January 14.

Vietnamese people in Bankstown (Australia) welcome the New Year with the "Bankstown Tet Fair 2023 celebrating the Year of the Cat" on January 14. Photo: Facebook

According to the Vietnamese Women's Association of Australia, on January 15, for the first time, the association organized a Vietnamese Tet fair in Preston, 9 km north of Melbourne city center. The program included lion dance performances, ao dai, especially traditional bamboo dance, attracting the attention of many people.

Vietnamese Tet Fair in Preston, Australia, January 15. Photo: Facebook

Vietnamese Tet Fair in Preston - Australia, January 15. Photo: Facebook

In London (UK), on January 15, the Vietnamese Family Organization (VFP) in collaboration with the Vietnamese Association in the UK (VAUK) organized a festival to celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Cat, attracting a large number of overseas Vietnamese in the UK.

Lion dance performance at the Lunar New Year festival in London. Photo: VNA

Vietnamese and British children dancing. Photo: VNA

According to VNA , the festival to celebrate the Year of the Cat 2023 includes many diverse activities: singing and dancing performances in Vietnamese by children born and raised in the UK, Ao Dai performances, lion dances, bamboo dances, martial arts performances, tug of war competitions, chess competitions, Vietnamese language competitions and learning about Vietnamese culture...

In particular, the banh chung wrapping contest attracted a large number of contestants and cheering audiences thanks to the appeal of this typical Tet dish.

Despite living far from their homeland, Vietnamese people in Belgium still try to maintain their tradition of preparing a sumptuous meal to commemorate their grandparents and ancestors on Tet. According to the Vietnam News Agency in Brussels, during the days before Tet, Vietnamese food stores are always crowded with customers.

Many traditional Tet items are sold at Vietnamese stores in Belgium. Photo: VNA

For Ms. Phan Thi Mai, 65 years old, born and raised in Da Lat city, then settled in Belgium since 1988, the traditional Tet holiday is always very sacred in her family. At the moment of New Year's Eve, all the women in the family, old and young, big and small, wear traditional ao dai, burn incense to remember their grandparents, and give lucky money to everyone. Ms. Mai told VNA that she tries to preserve this Tet custom so that her children and grandchildren can follow and always remember their roots.