The ~VIETNAMESE TET CELEBRATION~ of the Lunar New Year, the year of the Rat, will begin with firecrackers to ward off the evil spirits and to welcome the entrance of the dragon (dragon show at 7pm). Guests can feed the dragon red envelopes for good luck, ask the fortuneteller about the year ahead, and dine on signature good luck dishes made with ingredients said to bring happiness, wealth, prosperity, longevity, and health, like lobster spring rolls, chrysanthemum soup, and slow cooked pork; the regular menu will also be available.
More about Tet, the Vietnamese New Year: 2008—Year of the Rat
“Tet Nguyen Dan, commonly known as Tet, is the Vietnamese New Year and the most popular festival in Vietnam. Derived from the Han Nom characters, it means “The Feast of the First Morning.” Families gather and give offerings to the ancestors in celebration of this exciting holiday. Vietnamese people kick-off the celebrations by serving succulent and delicious foods such as Bahn Chung, a sticky rice with meat or bean fillings stuffed in banana leaves, Hat Dura, roasted watermelon seeds, Cu Kleu, pickled vegetables, Mut, sweetened coconut (a Tet special) as well as Cau Dura Xoai which are fruits such as coconut, papaya, and mango. These popular fruits are also used for ancestral offerings at the family altar.
On this holiday, many traditional greetings and well wishes for luck, prosperity, and health are often exchanged such as “Chuc Mung Nam Moi” and “Cung chuc tan xuan” which means “Happy New Year” and are usually followed by “Song lau tram tuoi (live up to 100 years), “Suc Khoe doi dao” (plenty of health), to name just a few.”
Tet/Lunar New Year
Fri., Feb. 8, 2008
Bong Su
311 Third St.
Cross: Folsom St.
San Francisco, CA 94107
415-536-5800
website
5pm–10pm
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