CVCA Students and Faculty Celebrate Tết

January 29 was the day when the moon became new, meaning that it passed nearly between earth and the sun so we could not see it due to the sun’s brightness and because its dark side was facing Earth. In much of the world, the year also became new. The date of the new moon closest to the midpoint between the winter solstice (first day of winter) and the spring equinox (first day of spring) is celebrated widely as the beginning of the new year. Among the countries that celebrate the Lunar New Year is Vietnam, where this most important holiday of the year is called Tết. Central Valley Christian Academy has a long tradition of hosting and graduating international students, many of them from Southeast Asia. Currently, our only international student is Anny Cao, a sophomore from Vietnam. In honor of Anny, the school celebrated Tết on Wednesday January 29 on the Julian calendar, but 1 January, 2025, according to Anny. She is a hard-working student, tasked with the difficult combination of being an English language learner while taking college preparatory classes taught in the language she is learning. Anny made the difficult choice to remain in the U.S. during Tết this year in order to concentrate on her classes as she prepares for success in an American university. For many of us, this would be the equivalent of remaining away from home during the Christmas season in order to achieve an important educational goal. Knowing that Anny would be missing her home and family during this holiday season, the students and staff of CVCA enjoyed a collective secret, conspiring to honor Anny by celebrating Tết with her as her adoptive family away from home. A former staff member who had lived and taught in Vietnam, along with several parents and an alumna, prepared traditional Vietnamese foods featuring tables lined with chopped vegetables where each person could fill and wrap their own spring rolls. Customary at Tết are red gift envelopes, so each high school student and teacher prepared a card to include along with a small gift for Anny, presented in red envelopes along with holiday wishes and hugs. The meal tables and some classroom doors were decorated with traditional red and gold colors, and custom-designed stickers saying “Happy Tết” and showing 2025 as the year of the snake decorated the red envelopes and were affixed to lapels and water bottles. The entire New Year’s celebration was both a cultural lesson and a gift of love to Anny as a valued member of the CVCA student body. Happy Vietnamese New Year to all, especially to Anny. Chúc mừng năm mới!