VAYA announces “Children of Dragons, Descendants of Gods” theme for 7th annual Tết festival
Media Contact: Alexander Nguyen
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alexander.nguyen@sdtet.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
VAYA announces “Children of Dragons, Descendants of Gods” theme for 7th annual Tết festival
SAN DIEGO — The Vietnamese-American Youth Alliance announces the theme for its annual Tết Festival, which will be held on Jan. 20-22 in Balboa Park, will be Con Rồng Cháu Tiên, roughly translated to “Children of Dragons, Descendants of Gods,” to welcome the Year of the Dragon.
The theme is rooted in a Vietnamese origin myth. Lạc Long Quân (The Dragon Lord of Lạc, an ancient Viet tribe), is considered to be the Father of the Vietnamese people. His wife, Âu Cơ, a mountain goddess, is considered to be the Mother of the Vietnamese people. After a few years of marriage, Âu Cơ, the granddaughter of Shen Nong (Thần Nông in Vietnamese), the God of Agriculture, gave birth 100 sons.
Lạc Long Quân, son of Thần Long Nữ (Lady Dragon Spirit), yearning for the seas, took 50 sons with him towards the sea, while Âu Cơ, longing for her mountain realms, took 50 sons with her to the mountains. The eldest son, who followed his father, later established himself as the first monarch, Hùng Vương, of a nation that is now known as Vietnam. This is why Vietnamese today refer to themselves as the children of dragons and descendants of gods.
The festival, which attracts 20,000 people each year, promises fun for whole the family with such activities as carnival rides and games, authentic Vietnamese food, lion dancing and firecrackers. And entertainment programs, such as the Miss Vietnam of San Diego, Mr. Vietnam of San Diego pageants, Kids Spotlights and San Diego Tết’s Got Talent. There’s also a Cultural Village to immerse yourself in Vietnamese culture.
Festival Dates and Hours are: Friday, Jan. 20, 2012 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday Jan. 22, 2012 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for children. Children 5 and under are free. For more information, visit www.SDTet.com
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Vietnamese-American Youth Alliance (V.A.Y.A), a 501(c)3 non-profit, non-partisan, community-based organization, was founded in 2004 as a means for Vietnamese-American youth to organize socially and culturally within the local communities.
At VAYA, we work to promote youth leadership, cultural awareness, social awareness, and community development. This is our mission. Everything we do reflects this mission and the values that make it possible.