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Streets of Yellow Smoke and Fire

SNEAK PEEK: Nguyen Family’s Vietnamese New Year Party (Tet)

Fireworks exploded! Costumed performers danced as lions through a blazing mist filling the cul-de-sac. Neighbors and friends all gathered to feed the “lions” in honor of Vietnamese New Year. They offered treats of money, used to provoke and entice the performers into theatrical feats. Some dancers stood on each other’s shoulders to climb a tree. Others tangoed with the flames in a billow of yellow fog that transformed the suburban street into a fantastical landscape.

Every year, the Nguyen family opens their Southern California home to friends and family for this traditional Vietnamese Tet party. Not only is the celebration a theatrical delight, but the family also prepares an inspired feast, including delicious cocktails and homemade pho noodle soup.

Traditions are important. We love weddings and celebrations of all forms that bring family together. These events cause us to notice the passage of time, the triumphs and struggles of the past, as well as the promise of new days to come. Our lives are a string of memories and moments, and boy, it’ll be hard to forget this street of yellow smoke and fire!

Lion Dancers at an Orange County Vietnamese New Year Party (Tet)

Vietnamese New Year Party (Tet) in Orange County, California

Happy New Year to the Nguyen family, their neighbors, and friends!

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