Student lion dancers have been training for months to delight the crowds with the traditional dance, which wound its way through the crowd gathered in the auditorium and then back to center stage. Seth Daniel photo
The Mather Elementary School on Meetinghouse Hill held its second annual community Tét Lunar New Year celebration – this is the Year of the Horse – last Friday evening (Feb. 6) in its auditorium with several hundred people in attendance.
The school hosts a dual language Vietnamese-English program for all students, and next year will expand that to the new sixth grade – giving a full K-6 dual language experience.
“This is the second year we’ve done it in the evening,” said Principal Hai Son. “We used to do this within the school day, but we wanted it to be accessible to the families, parents, and community. We have had a really good turnout now the last two years.”
The event featured tasty Vietnamese food, a martial arts presentation under the direction of Jose Correia of Champion Tae Kwon Do (Bowdoin Street), student lion dancers, and games and crafts.
Another celebration – of African American History Month – will take place at the school on Feb. 26 at 10 a.m.
Last week’s was just the beginning of several Tét New Year celebrations throughout the neighborhood this month. Others include:
•Feb. 13, Boston Latin School Vietnamese Students Society Lunar New Year Celebration, 5 p.m., 78 Avenue Louis Pasteur.
•Feb. 15, Tét in Boston Celebration, Thomas Menino Convention and Exhibition Center (South Boston), 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Paid entry. This is the largest celebration in the region, and the theme is ‘Spring of Love.’
•Feb. 22, Circle of Vietnamese Parents Lunar New Year Celebration, Florian Hall, Noon to 3 p.m., advanced registration required and info at info@vtcmv.org.
•Feb. 28, Tét with VietAID, 42 Charles St., 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Free. Come enjoy food, performances, and activities for all ages.
Seth Daniel photos
Principal Hai Son with students coordinators Odin Nguyen, Alexander Nguyen, Taylor Duong, Storhmy Collins-Walker, and Vivianne Dao and Dr. Alisha Nguyen, director of the Vietnamese dual language program.
Teachers Songkhla Nguyen and Tuyet Dinh with little Theia Barros.
Tu Nhi with teacher MyHanh Barrette.
Nyair Beasley Martin demonstrated his martial arts expertise under the direction of Jose Correia, of Bowdoin Street’s Champion Tae Kwon Do.
Students and parents cheered for each other during the event on Friday. Seth Daniel photos
