Tet Celebration

Written by 6th grade journalist Karyn Tang

As we all know, Lunar New Year has come and Franklin School celebrates this with a ceremony. It's listed on the 21st of February as the “Tet Celebration.” Each year, we have a lion dance, provided by Vo Vi Nam Viet Vo Dao of San Jose. It features ribbon twirling, a fan dance, a flower dance, and a martial arts performance. These are all Vietnamese traditions.

First off there were 4 lions, all multicolored, whom stood in position. A loud steady beat played by gongs and drums kick-started the dance. Of course, we all know that 2 people are draped under the lion head cloth, the front and the behind. Still, it's good fun to watch them parade around with their shiny lion scale pants, the supposed legs. What an awe! They sauntered about, dancing in different positions, occasionally rearing up (the bottom person carrying the top person). What does the bottom person do if the front person is the one there in sight? The bottom person serves as a hold (you can't have the bottom half of the lion hanging limply like a tail) and as a balance (rearing up, carrying the person). They follow the front person who is leading. The front person's job is to carry the lion head, control it, make the eyes blink from time to time, and guide the bottom half (the 2nd person can't see because they are behind the 1st person). They look through the lion mouth or eyes (it depends on how the costume is made). They also collect money through the mouth, making it seem as if the money is being eaten (Unless you're the one feeding it, when you will see a hand in the mouth reaching for the money). It is also said that you get good luck for the year if you “feed” the lions money. Soon, the lions danced down the cafeteria aisles to collect the students’ money.

As the lions went along, girls in traditional outfits went on stage. Girls of different heights and ages held long, colorful ribbons. They twirled them, looking very mature and graceful. I've seen this act many times, but it still amazes me. Perhaps it's the colors. These girls worked their magic as they danced about, spinning and sliding. Next, the same girls grabbed fans the colors of green, yellow, and pink. The rhythmic banging was replaced by a serene Vietnamese song. Their act reminded me of the Vietnamese parade with a creek and butterflies floating above. Then came the flower dance, where each girl held a pink paper flower in her palm. Another Vietnamese song came on. It was upbeat, a song I could dance to. With the same angelic movements, they received applause. They must have a lot of stamina to dance to 3 songs in a row with short breaks. 

Finally, the martial artists went on. The best for last they say. For the first of their act, girls and boys holding 2 flags ran on stage. They waved the flags around while a young girl, in the front, demonstrated karate moves. How cute! Then, the group transitioned. With background students practicing karate moves, a girl was “fighting” a boy. It was an act, but it looked real. Afterwards, the group shuffled into a final pose - a spectacular way to end the performance! Students & staff clapped and rejoiced.