Gung Hay Fat Choy / Chuc Mung Nam Muoi
No matter how you say it, it means Happy New Year!
Over the weekend my husband and I took our kids to the Seattle Center to celebrate the Lunar New Year. This weekend they had the Tết Festival (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) and we had so much fun participating in this event.
The kids had such a good time taking in all the activities and understanding their culture. My son Kaleb, who’s 5 years old and very inquisitive, was asking lots of questions and internalizing how this all relates to him. I was glad to see him doing this, as it is very important to me that they understand their culture.
Below are some pictures from the festival.
Opening ceremony with fire crackers and dragon dance. 
Lots of fire crackers.
My daughter thought the music and fire crackers were too loud.
The kids watched the rest of the show from inside.
So many booths and activities
Kids activities – paper windmill and lantern.
Year of the Dragon!
Kaitlyn getting her li xi (red envelop containing lucky money). 
Kaleb opening up his li xi.
The kids felt that they learned a lot about their culture and showing off their Kung Fu moves 🙂
Happy Lunar New Year everyone!
D Leng Photography 
Love the kids demonstrating their kung fu moves!
January 23, 2012 at 9:36 am
Oh my GOSH those kids are adorable!
Beautiful pix … looks like an amazing day. 🙂
January 23, 2012 at 9:49 am
those kids are almost as cute as me.
January 23, 2012 at 9:51 am
i like the way you start. no matter how you say it, it means Happy New Year.
Happy Lunar New Year. all the best please come to you and your family.
January 23, 2012 at 9:56 am
Nice photographs. I live in Beijing and have celebrated the past two New Year’s holidays here. It’s neat place to be for the New Year, if you don’t mind the cold and the nearly nonstop fireworks.
Jimmy
http://www.slightlyreworded.wordpress.com
January 23, 2012 at 10:01 am
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January 24, 2012 at 10:17 am
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January 24, 2012 at 4:20 pm
Those kids are soo cute! 🙂
January 23, 2012 at 10:03 am
nice pics …
January 23, 2012 at 10:04 am
Fabulous photos! Beautiful colours and such interesting content as well.
Happy Lunar New Year and congrats on being Freshly Pressed! 🙂
January 23, 2012 at 10:04 am
Happy Lunar New Year! Thanks for the pictures, they are beautiful!
January 23, 2012 at 10:06 am
That’s wonderful. It’s so interesting seeing all these different posts about the new year.
January 23, 2012 at 10:07 am
Happy new year! Love the pics, so gorg.
January 23, 2012 at 10:09 am
Fantastic photos! I’ve always wanted to go to a New Year’s Festival! Love the firecrackers!
January 23, 2012 at 10:22 am
AMAZING pictures! you captured the celebration of Chinese New Year’s perfectly! I love love LOVE your kids “chi-paos”!
Happy Chinese New Years to you and your family!
January 23, 2012 at 10:44 am
In Singapore we said “Gong Xi Fa Cai!”
January 23, 2012 at 10:46 am
Very nice. I live in Hanoi, Vietnam. I just posted about Tết today, and I’ll post some more photos over the next few days. Great shots. Thanks for sharing.
Chúc Mừng Năm Mới!
January 23, 2012 at 10:47 am
very nice photos.. thanks for sharing a glimpse of your life. Happy Chinese New Year to you and your family!
January 23, 2012 at 11:03 am
Happy Chinese New Year, Year of the Dragon for 2012!
Head north to Vancouver, British Columbia. They just had an annual fusion dinner/song/arts performance night, Gung Haggis Fat Choy. Combines Chinese New Year’s with Robbie Burns Day, the Scottish poet. http://www.gunghaggis.com/
Vancouver old Chinatown has hosted the biggest Chinese New Year’s parade in Canada in past few years. And it should: over 300,000 locals of Chinese descent in Metro Vancouver (over 2 million)… abit smaller than Metro Toronto.
January 23, 2012 at 11:17 am
Beautiful pics! Great header, too!
January 23, 2012 at 11:23 am
awesome pictures, i especially think the kids doing the kung fu moves are super adorable!! 😀
January 23, 2012 at 11:38 am
Fabulous Post! Love everything about it. Interesting to see the things that are of importantance to other cultures in celebrating a new year!
January 23, 2012 at 12:25 pm
Absolutely wonderful pictures! And congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!
January 23, 2012 at 12:28 pm
Lovely! i wished we had something similar here for me to take my little guy to so he doesn’t lost touch with our culture…
January 23, 2012 at 12:31 pm
happy New Years!!! lovely pictures!!
January 23, 2012 at 12:34 pm
I love how Kaleb is looking for more lucky money. 😉
January 23, 2012 at 12:47 pm
Beautiful color and history. Gung hay fat choi!
January 23, 2012 at 12:52 pm
Loved this! Beautiful pictures! Wish I attended some festivities. Happy New Year to you! XOXO
January 23, 2012 at 1:04 pm
Happy Year of the Dragon!
January 23, 2012 at 1:06 pm
Happy Year of the Dragon! Thanks for sharing such lovely pictures! 🙂
January 23, 2012 at 1:19 pm
Cute! Happy New Year!
As a former Seattleitte, I miss attending events at Seattle Center.
January 23, 2012 at 1:41 pm
Great pictures! Reminds me of Chinese New Years with my family as a child. Congrats on getting Freshly Pressed!
January 23, 2012 at 1:53 pm
Gorgeous costumes they were wearing and the kids are so adorable. Lovely blog. Thank you for sharing
val
http://valentinedefrancis.wordpress.com
January 23, 2012 at 1:55 pm
I really love the photos. Especially the ones of the dragon that were taken outdoors. The vibrant colors of the dragon are a perfect contrast to the more somber grays and greens of the background.
January 23, 2012 at 1:55 pm
Nice photos you have here!
January 23, 2012 at 2:16 pm
Hahaha that photo of your daughter plugging her ears is the best one =P
January 23, 2012 at 2:38 pm
Ohh Happy New Year to you as well! You’ve definitely captured the sights and sounds of Lunar New Year! Such colorful and vibrant pictures! Thank you for sharing 🙂
January 23, 2012 at 3:20 pm
NYCC CONCEPT
January 23, 2012 at 3:45 pm
Reblogged this on myprintXpress and commented:
Gong Xi Fa Cai! Happy Lunar New Year!
January 23, 2012 at 3:52 pm
Reblogged this on MyDestiny2011 and commented:
Nice pics . Lion dance is unique . Gong Xi Fa Cai to you and may the year of Dragon brings you happiness, good health and prosperity.
January 23, 2012 at 4:20 pm
素敵な写真がいっぱいですね♪
また、遊びに来させてください。
January 23, 2012 at 4:49 pm
Happy Year of the Dragon! Gong Xi Fa Cai
January 23, 2012 at 5:02 pm
Wonderful photos!
Great way to share insight, and build cultural bridges!
January 23, 2012 at 5:23 pm
So beautiful happy new year to all,Thanks for sharing.
January 23, 2012 at 5:25 pm
Thank you for sharing your wonderfully colourful pictures!
January 23, 2012 at 5:26 pm
Beautiful pictures of the New Year’s Festival, and your children are absolutely adorable. Happy New Year to you from all the way across the country here in New York City!
January 23, 2012 at 5:45 pm
first time for me to visit your blog 😉 will visit more often!
a Happy New Year!!!
i noticed many words you use here are similar to Cantonese…
wondering if you are Cantonese origins? or Vietnamese language is very much similar to Cantonese?
i will start writing my blog again too!! stay in touch!!
January 23, 2012 at 6:10 pm
Greetings ! Gong Xi Fat Choi Sin Nien Kuai Le
January 23, 2012 at 6:27 pm
Great photographs! Chuc mung nam moi!
January 23, 2012 at 6:39 pm
very nice post. Good demonstration of kung fu moves by the kids! photographs are so good. Crackers have no sound barriers in India too.
TechSmartLife
January 23, 2012 at 7:19 pm
Your kids are adorable!! Thanks for sharing all the pictures. 🙂
January 23, 2012 at 7:37 pm
Love it!
January 23, 2012 at 8:01 pm
Loved this so much! I teach kindergarten and we are studying traditions/celebrations and how they are similar and different around the world. I loved that I knew what they title of your post meant from reading children’s books 🙂 We had a speaker come in and tell us about Vietnamese New Year and we watched some dragon dances on you tube, but it would be so cool to take part in the actual celebration!
January 23, 2012 at 8:03 pm
Reblogged this on Super Bull Investor – Intelligence for the Successful Speculator and commented:
test
January 23, 2012 at 8:41 pm
Wow… Nice Picture.. Thank you for sharing!
indonesiabestplaces.wordpress.com
January 23, 2012 at 8:43 pm
Reblogged this on Indonesia Best Places.
January 23, 2012 at 8:43 pm
Irish Year of the Dragon here
http://wp.me/28tG9
January 23, 2012 at 9:24 pm
The pictures along with the adorable kids looks sweet. I heard about the Lunar New Year from friends, and I wish I could have been there to see the festivities. 🙂
January 23, 2012 at 10:20 pm
gong chi fat choy
January 24, 2012 at 12:00 am
So beautiful!!!
Claire
http://aphotoaday2012.com/
January 24, 2012 at 12:23 am
Love you header of the children’s feet. It’s so sweet. I love black and white photography 🙂
January 24, 2012 at 1:47 am
Kung Hei Fat Choi! Happy New Year! Great colorful shots..
January 24, 2012 at 1:53 am
awesome clicks… 🙂
January 24, 2012 at 2:57 am
wow. I don’t know Vietnamese celebrate the Lunar New year as well. But now I know 🙂
happy Lunar new year, then! really nice shots, loved it!! ^^
congrats on being on freshly pressed!! 🙂 keep on working!! ^^
once again, Gong Xi Fa Cai or Gung Hay Fat Choy, anything that works for you!
January 24, 2012 at 3:10 am
lovely
January 24, 2012 at 4:09 am
Happy Year of the Dragon, thank you for sharing your day and great photos. Wish I could have gone to see some of the celebrations in Brisbane, Australia. 🙂
January 24, 2012 at 4:11 am
There are celebration of lunar new year called imlek in Indonesia especially in Pontoianak and Singkawang. And It will be more terrify in the Cap Go Meh. Fifteen days after Imlek
January 24, 2012 at 4:22 am
Great pictures, thank you so very much for sharing with us all.
Happy New Year.
James
January 24, 2012 at 5:23 am
Kung Hei Fat Choi
happy new year 2012 for the celebration.
Hopefully in the water dragon this year we can be more glorious …
January 24, 2012 at 6:45 am
Your kids are so cute! 🙂
January 24, 2012 at 7:00 am
Reblogged this on nothing but a facade..
January 24, 2012 at 7:01 am
Our favorite event when visiting Vancouver was a restaurant opening ceremony . . . with Dragon and firecrackers!
Thanks for the visual reminders!!
January 24, 2012 at 7:58 am
Wow!! i love to look after the spirit that reflected from your kids,, the way they poses and act haha!! it shows that they enjoyed the event!!
January 24, 2012 at 8:10 am
cool!!!
http://www.amiarting.wordpress.com
January 24, 2012 at 8:28 am
Love the photos!!
January 24, 2012 at 8:42 am
Nice photos. Thanks for sharing.
January 24, 2012 at 9:55 am
It seems to be more fun than Little Saigon.
Happy Tết holiday
January 24, 2012 at 10:34 am
Great photos!
January 24, 2012 at 11:13 am
Gung hay fat choy!
January 24, 2012 at 4:19 pm
Gung hay fat choy!
Very nice celebration,.. so wonderful and truly colorful.
January 24, 2012 at 5:11 pm
Loved your post. i was counting on watching the activities on Mott Street this year — it would be my first time — from a friend’s apartment. Unfortunately I had to go back home on Sunday because of an illness in the family — all is well. Your photos make me impatient for next year.
January 24, 2012 at 5:33 pm
Beautiful pictures !! The kids are adorable.
And a Happy New Year to you.
January 24, 2012 at 9:30 pm
Lovely babies! Gung Hei Fat Choy! Wish you all have happy year of Dragon!
January 24, 2012 at 11:29 pm
wow great photos dear! I know it was so nice to witness this kind of celebration. Because here in the philippines, some filipinos celebrate chinese new year too… Anyway your two kids are awesome!
January 25, 2012 at 4:14 am
Xin nian kuai le! in Mandarin. Capitalism starts young. Show me the money!
January 25, 2012 at 5:19 am
Your pictures tell a story! Beautiful pics!
January 25, 2012 at 10:18 am
Once again Gong Xi Fa Cai (mandarin).
i enjoy your blog lots & have nominated your for the Versatile Blogger Award. See http://trippingdifferently.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/2nd-blog-award/ for details.
January 26, 2012 at 7:27 am
Happy New Year to you! I absolutely love the pic’s, the depth of field makes them so beautiful. I blog-posted today on our local chinese new year celebrations, and my pic’s of the event are mere snapshots compared to your gorgeous ones, but I love looking back at them and remembering days out. Gorgeous work, lovely to look at and read, thank- you for posting them 🙂
January 29, 2012 at 1:36 pm
how beautifully colourful.
January 30, 2012 at 5:26 am
spectacular. colorful. beautiful!!
February 1, 2012 at 9:36 pm
I love these photos…awesome “Life is God’s novel. Let him write it.” by Isaac Bashevis Singer.
August 9, 2012 at 3:09 am
Like your way of writing. Clear and on the point. Photos are awesome!
August 10, 2012 at 8:13 am
There is definately a great deal to learn about this topic.
I like all of the points you made.
July 15, 2014 at 10:39 pm