THE HISSING CAUGHT ON, quieting the gymnasium and filling the energetic room with the sounds of hundreds of snakes.
ST. COLUMBAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS GREET A LION DANCER DURING THEIR SCHOOL’S LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION. PHOTOS BY STEVEN GEORGES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
It was fitting for the space packed with students and parents, because it was time to welcome in the Year of the Snake.
On Jan. 31, St. Columban Catholic School in Garden Grove celebrated the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, or Tết Nguyên Đán, with a special event featuring firecrackers, lion dancers, the giving of lucky money and many calls of “chúc mừng năm mới!” or Happy New Year!
ST. COLUMBAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS PERFORM DURING THE SCHOOL’S JAN. 31 LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION.
“We pride ourselves on cultural inclusivity, and this event is one of the highlights of the school,” said parent Lisa Chau, president of St. Columban’s Parent Guild Executive Committee. “It brings our community together, not only internally for our parents and our school, but it also brings the wider community together. They look forward to this every single year.”
St. Columban tries to honor all its student cultures and traditions, said principal Melissa Geary.
“I think every culture has something to bring and something different,” she said, “and I think it’s important for the kids to learn not only where they came from and where their parents came from, but where others came from.”
St. Columban students born in the Year of the Snake (2013) were welcomed onstage to be presented with red envelopes and special-edition school sweatshirts celebrating the snake. The group of mostly sixth-grade students were joined by their parents who gave them their Lunar New Year gifts.
Preschool students in paper snake headbands they made themselves opened the show by singing and dancing to “Chúc Tết,” which means New Year’s wishes, and the “Happy Lunar New Year” song.
Waving oversized watermelon and green rice cakes, TK through third-grade students took the stage next to dance to “Bánh Chưng Xanh,” or green rice cake.
Holding two thick wooden sticks, students in third grade through seventh grade took the stage, taking their places behind large red drums for the song “Tết Tết Tết.” The drum performance was the highlight of their own time performing, said seventh-graders Riley Nguyen, 13, and Katie Ha, 13. But this was their first year not performing — and it felt weird to not be nervous, said Nguyen.
“I liked watching the whole experience and clapping for everyone,” Nguyen said. “It was very special, and I’ll remember it when I graduate.”
The sixth graders, many donning their new snake sweatshirts, recited “The Zodiac’s Tale.” Then it was time for firecrackers and lion dancers. After performing on stage, the lion dancers took to the floor of the gymnasium getting up close to the students, many of whom fed them red envelopes.
“It was pretty fun and nice,” sixth-grader Ryder La, 11, said. “I liked the lions. It was really fun when they were dancing.”
For parent AJ Domingo, the event was a chance for his daughter to celebrate part of her heritage — something he said he didn’t always get to do growing up.
“I just hope that she knows who she is and where she came from on both sides. She is half Mexican, and part Filipino and Vietnamese,” Domingo said.