On Thursday, January 23 beginning at 10:30 am, First Senior Center of Georgia (FSCofGA) will host a Lunar New Year celebration. The celebration also commonly known as Tết Nguyên Đán or Tet in the Vietnamese community, commemorates the start of the new year. 2025 is the Year of the Wood Snake which symbolizes regeneration and is believed to bring personal development, wisdom, and a greater connection with one’s spirituality. 

Before the celebration, the seniors will be invited to wrap traditional bánh chưng, a sticky rice cake. S Several hundred cakes will be made to honor the new year, with the wrapping and cooking process taking 24 hours. These cakes will be offered to grandparents and ancestors during the celebration on the 23rd. FSCofGA includes this activity to ensure Vietnamese cultural traditions are not lost and to support intergenerational connections.  

The center will be dressed in red to represent good fortune and warmth, gold for wealth and abundance, hanging ornaments, and cherry blossoms to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere unlike anything else. Von Tran, executive director of FSCofGA, and her team will celebrate alongside seniors with performances of song and dance, expressing gratitude as they enter the new year. A Mr. & Mrs. First Senior Center contest will also take place at 11:00 a.m., featuring seniors in traditional áo dài attire, showcasing the beauty of Vietnamese dress and culture. 

After the festivities, Tet gifts will be presented to the seniors, including rice, fish sauce, and soy sauce. These are essential foods—according to Vietnamese beliefs, they provide the necessities for the New Year, and it is believed that this will ensure a year of abundance, with no food shortages in the family. 

"The Lunar New Year is the biggest festival for Vietnamese people. We celebrate it on a grand scale, setting aside all our busyness, work, and worries to enjoy the joy of welcoming the lunar new year," said Ms. Đỗ Lang, a 55-year-old senior at the center. 

Mrs. Hua Phan, 77, shared her sentiments, stating, "Every year, I look forward to the Lunar New Year. It is a time for family reunions, sharing joy, and celebrating Vietnamese culture. My children live far away, so I come to the First Senior Center to meet my senior friends. I feel closer to them than to my own family because we see each other every day, talk, and share the ups and downs of life. The Lunar New Year in Vietnam is very special; Vietnamese people have a habit of working hard and saving all year round, and when the New Year arrives, we shop and spend freely for our families, enjoying the best of life during this festive time."