FOR MANY COMMUNITIES throughout the Diocese of Orange, Jan. 1, wasn’t the only New Year celebrated. Later in the month, many within Orange County’s Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean populations also partook in their respective traditional Lunar New Year celebrations, with many Catholic parishes — including Christ Cathedral — joining in on the cultural festivities.
A LION DANCER PERFORMS INSIDE THE ARBORETUM ON CHRIST CATHEDRAL CAMPUS. PHOTOS BY IAN TRAN/ DIOCESE OF ORANGE
In Vietnam, Lunar New Year is known as Tết Nguyên Đán; in China, it’s the Spring Festival; in Korea, the Seollal.
This year, Jan. 29 marked the beginning of the festivities, lasting as long as 15 days for some in a chock-full series of various events, all in recognition of the lunar calendar and ushering in good luck.
FR. BAO THAI, RECTOR OF CHRIST CATHEDRAL AND FR. IAN GASTON ENJOY THE LUNAR NEW YEAR FESTIVITIES AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL.
“The Diocese of Orange is blessed to be an incredibly diverse community of Catholic faithful, including those of Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese heritage who celebrate the Lunar New Year,” said Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen. “So, we always enjoy taking time to recognize these historic traditions. For these times especially, in this Jubilee Year of Hope, we pray our entire Diocese reflects on our journey of faith and embraces the hope of God’s promise.”
A VIETNAMESE-LANGUAGE MASS WAS FOLLOWED BY TRADITIONAL LUNAR NEW YEAR FESTIVITIES ON FEB. 1 AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL CAMPUS.
During a general audience at the Vatican on Jan. 29, Pope Francis took a few moments to recognize the collective of Asian holidays.
“In East Asia and in various parts of the world millions of families are celebrating the Lunar New Year today, an occasion to experience family and friendship relationships with greater intensity,” he said, according to AsiaNews.
VIETNAMESE FOOD WAS SERVED DURING CHRIST CATHEDRAL’S LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION HELD ON FEB. 1.
“With my best wishes for the New Year, may my blessing come to you all, as I invoke for each one from the Lord peace, serenity and health.”
The year 2025 is the Year of the Snake, one of the 12 Zodiac signs. The Year of the Snake comes every dozen years, applying to people born in 2025, 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965, 1953, 1941 and 1929. The year is about discovering one’s personal growth while shedding “toxicity in personality, in character traits,” according to NBC News, as well as letting go of ego, anger and love lost.
People born during the Year of the Snake are said to be tenacious in achieving their goals and thinking “outside the box.”
Traditionally, there are three special celebrations for the Vietnamese Tết: one day for paying remembrance to family and ancestors; a second for friends and community to strengthen bonds and cherish relationships; and a third for paying respect to teachers and mentors who shape the future. Inside the cathedral, Lunar New Year took beautiful form with pink peach blossoms and yellow apricot blossoms around the altar area.
The final celebration, which featured a Vietnamese-language Mass, took place on the cathedral campus on Feb. 1. That’s when parishioner Nam Nguyen said it was a time to celebrate and remember his parents and grandparents. Although they have passed, Nguyen said it’s still a special time to visit with family and wish everyone long lives and happiness. He also had his own wishes for the Lunar New Year.
“Hopefully for the New Year they can get better and more peaceful in the whole world and the economy can grow better for everybody,” Nguyen said.
After the Mass in the cathedral, five lion dancers in bright white, marigold, red and pink costumes waited as parishioners left the pews. The lions performed and snatched up red envelopes of money that was fed to them. Then they led the way across the plaza to a special Lunar New Year event in the Arboretum building.
Revelers lit firecrackers outside before children who were inside the Arboretum, dressed all in red, took the stage with oversized prop watermelons and green rice cakes to perform a dance.
Vivian Nguyen, who has been going to dinner parties and getting her own red envelopes with lucky money, said she came to the cathedral that night to
fully join in the festivities. For her, the time equated to celebrating not just her own Vietnamese heritage, but those of all Asian people. She wished for financial security and an overall blessed life.
The lion dancers were the reason Jenny Tran and her family came out on the chilly Saturday night. Holding a yellow lion puppet, Tran said her 3-yearold son had been waiting to see the dancers live. The celebration was also a chance for the family to participate in the traditions.
“I just want them to be enriched in our culture. I feel like growing up, I had that with my parents instilling it in us,” Tran said. “With us now, with a different generation, it’s kind of hard because we don’t really know all the traditions, but we go to them wherever we can.”
Tran said her family made sure to pay respects and visit their elder relatives.
They also visited a flower festival and gave the traditional “lucky money” envelopes to their children.
Tran’s favorite aspect of Lunar New Year was “just the family togetherness and all the blessings that we give each other.”
As far as her wishes?
“Good health,” Tran said. “That’s everything.”