Members of Anredunglac, the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Society of America, form a line as Bishop Robert Finn prepares to lead a procession at the beginning of the Mass. (NCR photos/Eloisa Perez-Lozano)
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A special Mass was held Saturday to celebrate the Vietnamese New Year at the Church of the Holy Martyrs in Kansas City, Mo. The Mass included special gifts as well as a liturgical dance as an offering to God. There were games and food available in the church basement afterward. According to VietnamOnline.com, The Vietnamese New Year, Tet Nguyen Dan, is celebrated on the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar. It is a time for people to express their respect and remember their ancestors while bringing in the new year with beloved family members. People believe that the way one behaves on the day of the new year will reflect how the rest of the year will unfold, the site says, and because of this, many people will smile a lot and be on their best behavior.
