 |
| A lion dance performance at the event. Photo: VNA |
The Vietnamese Family Partnership (VFP), in coordination with the Vietnamese Association in the UK (VAUK), hosted a traditional Tet (Lunar New Year) celebration for expatriates on January 15, VNA reported Monday.
The event featured a variety of activities such as lion dances, martial arts performances, ao dai (traditional long dress) show and folk games.
Visitors had a chance to buy traditional Vietnamese specialties for Tet namely jams, banh chung (square glutinous rice cake), pork paste, rice paper, among others.
 |
| At the ceremony. Photo: Vietnamese Family Partnership |
Addressing the ceremony, the Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Nguyen Hoang Long appreciated the contributions of VFP and VAUK in organizing the biggest festival of the year for the Vietnamese community.
He said that the Lunar New Year festival is part of a program to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the UK in 2023. He called on the Vietnamese community in the UK to participate in the program, contributing to fostering bilateral relations.
The ambassador affirmed that the Vietnamese Embassy always accompanies overseas Vietnamese in community activities, contributing to preserving and promoting the cultural and humane values of the Vietnamese people.
Vicky Foxcroft, Member of Parliament for Lewisham and Deptford, expressed her pleasure at attending the traditional Tet festival, which is an opportunity for her to meet Vietnamese friends and take part in traditional activities of the Vietnamese New Year.
She spoke highly of VFP’s role in connecting the Vietnamese communities in Lewisham and Deptford with many activities that help promote and enhance the prestige of Vietnamese in the host country.
VAUK Chairman Tang Tuan Tu affirmed that the association will do its best to unite 100,000 Vietnamese people who are living and working in the UK to build a strong community, contributing to the further development of Vietnam-UK relations.
 |
| Giving Lunar New Year presents to Cambodians of Vietnamese origin with disadvantaged circumstances. Photo: VNA |
Meanwhile, the Consulate General of Vietnam in Cambodia’s Preah Sihanouk province, in collaboration with the Khmer-Vietnamese Association’s provincial chapter and the sponsor Metfone Company – Cambodian affiliate of Vietnam’s telecoms group Viettel, on January 16 presented 100 gift packages to disadvantaged families of Vietnamese origin on the occasion of Tet.
Each household received a gift set valued at VND 500,000 (USD 21), which includes basic commodities for Tet. This activity is part of a programme to give nearly 1,000 Tet gifts, worth USD 20,700 in total, to families of Vietnamese origin with difficult circumstances in eight provinces across Cambodia so that they can enjoy a happy Tet.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Consul General Lai Xuan Chien extended his wish that the Vietnamese community will have a joyful and happy Tet. He expected that they will continue to unite, abide by the host country’s regulations as well as care for their children and preserve the nation’s traditions.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Denmark organised a Homeland Spring programme on January 15 with the participation of more than 200 overseas Vietnamese, representatives of the Denmark-Vietnam Friendship Association and Danish friends as the biggest traditional festival for Vietnamese, is nearing.
The Consulate General of Vietnam in Germany’s Frankfurt am Main city also held a programme to welcome the Lunar New Year, with the participation of more than 1,000 people. Visitors to the event, including overseas Vietnamese and German, were impressed with the artistic performance and traditional dishes.
Hanoians adorn home with wild pear blossoms
As a traditional custom, displaying flowers at home on early days of a lunar year is believed to bring good luck to the home owners. Having done exhibiting peach blossoms during the Lunar New Year holiday, Hanoians start buying pure white pear flowers to decorate their houses these days.
Vietnamese community in Japan, France welcomes Lunar New Year
NDO – Overseas Vietnamese community in Japan and France have held a number of activities and ceremonies to welcome the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival.
Mask dance – An intangible cultural heritage in Lang Son
NDO – Mask dancing is a long-standing traditional practice which has been performed throughout many generations of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups in the northern province of Lang Son.
Germany Hosts Fair Showcasing Vietnamese Culture
An event titled “Vietnam in Germany” is taking place within the framework of the AFA Augsburg spring fair 2020 in Augsburg city of Germany’s Bavaria state from January 24-28.
French city welcomes introduction of Vietnamese cultural space
The Vietnamese student association in the French city of Toulouse recently held a festival aimed at welcoming in the Lunar New Year whilst also promoting the nation’s culture to people from around the world.
