BILOXI -- Hundreds of Vietnamese celebrated new beginnings with music, food, pageantry, fireworks and the traditional Dragon Dance on Saturday at Vietnamese Martyrs Church on Oak Street. The New Year’s festival of Tet Nguyen Dan marks the arrival of spring according to the lunar calendar. “The festival reminds us of our roots as Vietnamese people,” said the Rev. Thong Ngo. “The new year is a new life.”The all-day Vietnamese music, games, food and entertainment festival continues today. Although the entertainment and announcements are primarily in Vietnamese, everyone is invited to share in the fun.
Dragon dances are scheduled for 10:15 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The must-see acts today for many Vietnamese are performances by famous singers Nhu Guynh and Minh Tuyet. The Year of the Dragon, which officially starts Jan. 23, is welcomed by local Vietnamese shrimpers and fishermen, many of whom have struggled throughout the year. The dragon is a symbol of power, protection and luck.
The day’s activities included a ceremony recognizing Vietnamese ancestors and singing of both Vietnamese and American anthems. Many children threw firecracker “poppers” to scare away the bad influences. There are about 9,500 Vietnamese-Americans in South Mississippi, according to Daniel Le of Boat People SOS. About 80 percent depend on the seafood industry for their livelihood and could use an infusion of good luck.
Le said shrimpers and fishermen have had several bad years due to Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf oil spill. He said the most recent season has been the worse many have seen and it has been a strain on the community. “Whatever happened last year, we start a new year with holiness and love for each other,” said the Rev. Jimmy Pham.