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New England Celebrates Lunar New Year With Annual Tết Festival in Boston

Yen Nguyen March 16, 2026 2 minutes read

On February 15th, New England’s largest annual Vietnamese Lunar New Year festival, Tết in Boston, was hosted at the Mannino Convention and Exhibition center in South Boston. The festival showcased various traditional food stalls, cultural activities, live music, lion dances, martial arts, and raffles. As families and Boston community members gathered to celebrate the year of the horse, the festival became a way of empowering cultural identity.

Child wearing a small áo dài as she waits for her “bánh tét,” a Vietnamese glutinous rice cake at a stall. YEN NGUYEN

A view of the Tet in Boston venue from the top of an escalator. YEN NGUYEN

A vendor stall selling Vietnamese good luck charms, beaded bracelets, jade figures of “phật di lặc,” the fat laughing buddha, and good luck posters. YEN NGUYEN

A row of “bức tranh thu phap,” traditional handwritten Vietnamese calligraphy scrolls meant to wish a happy lunar new years. YEN NGUYEN

A vendor holding one of her calligraphy scrolls. YEN NGUYEN

A performer poses with a historical Vietnamese war sword as she prepares to go on stage along with the other women dressed in blue. YEN NGUYEN

Vietnamese singer Khanh Van performing “Xuân Họp Mặt,” a vietnamese song about Lunar New Year. YEN NGUYEN

A glimpse of the audience watching Khanh Van sing a series of “nhạc xuân,” Vietnamese spring music often played during Lunar New Years. YEN NGUYEN

Two friends posing in front of a “tiệm may áo dài,” an áo dài tailor shop with their newly made áo dài. YEN NGUYEN

Two friends pose after buying new “áo dài,” a piece of traditional Vietnamese attire worn during special, formal events. YEN NGUYEN

Yen Nguyen

Editor

Yen Nguyen is a junior at Malden High. Born in August, Nguyen likes cool summers, going on hikes, tanning at the beach, and snowboarding when it gets cold. Nguyen has been a part of the Blue and Gold since her sophomore year, initially joining because of friends. Nguyen strives to report whatever topic she thinks is cool. Nguyen loves a good banana pudding.