Tet, The Vietnamese Lunar New Year

February 8th, 2008, 3-5pm
Special Collections Library Formby Room

The Vietnam Center cordially invites you join us as we celebrate Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, on Friday, February 8, 2008. This event will take place from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Formby Room of the Southwest Collections/Special Collections Library at Texas Tech University. Please come sample Vietnamese cuisine and learn more about the rich heritage and culture that makes Vietnam so remarkable.

February 7, 2008, ushers in the Lunar Year of the Rat. In Vietnam, one of 12 animals of the zodiac represents each year. The Rat is the first in the cycle of the 12 animal signs and represents hard work, thrift, and success. It is said that people born in the year of the Rat are also charming and attractive yet they can be uncompromising and prone to gossip.

The Vietnamese people regard Tet as their most important holiday and prepare for it by cooking special holiday foods like Banh Chung, which consists of sticky rice with meat or bean filling wrapped tightly in banana leaves. Food preparation for Tet is very time consuming and often requires days of cooking and, prior to the celebrations, people clean, paint, and decorate their homes. People avoid cleaning during Tet so that good luck will not be "swept away."

We hope you will be able to join us on February 8, 2008, as we celebrate this special event! For more information, please contact the Vietnam Center at 742-9010.