“People gather together to have some traditional, traditional foods,” says Minh Mac, president of VPABC. “And the elder will give [the] younger some money to give a best wish for the new year.”

A time for enjoying family reunions, traditional food and honoring ancestors, VPABC’s work actively fosters cultural connections and preserve traditions for Vietnamese Canadians.

Connecting generations

Tết’s full name in Vietnamese translates to “the first morning of the first day.” According to their calendar, this year’s celebration falls on Jan. 29, signifying the arrival of spring.

“All the kids, from wherever, we try [our] best to come home, and then have a festival meal with the parents and grandparents,” says Mac. “Of course, we’ll go to the temples [to] honour our ancestors.”

A time for family renuions, Tết involves activities like viewing pyrotechnic displays, tasting Vietnamese traditional food and giving kids lucky money for sending New Year wishes. It is also an opportunity for descendants to invite the souls of their ancestors to join the family’s celebrations.

“It’s a time to honour our ancestors and welcome the new year with wishes for health and wealth and happiness,” the president shares.

A non-profit organization supporting Vietnamese professionals and business owners in B.C., the VPABC’s members are diverse – including new immigrants of Vietnamese heritage and Vietnamese Canadians who may not be familiar with these traditions. Actively supporting their community through events, the organization has grown from a small group of six to seven members to about 40 active members since its founding a decade ago.

“We started out as a really small group of professionals,” says Mac. “[We] just wanted to come together and really build connections within the community.”

Building strong communities

According to Mac, one of the organization’s goals is ensuring that the younger generation, including young professionals who were born here, remain connected to these cultural traditions. VPABC also holds weekly Vietnamese language classes for members in their community. For three to four hours each week, learners are exposed to the basics of the Vietnamese language and how it reflects their traditions.

“For example, in English, it’s using first name to address each other, right?” explains Mac. “But in Vietnamese, when you talk to an elder person [it] is different [than] when you talk to a younger person.”

By providing a space for members to learn and practice Vietnamese, VPABC is not only preserving language skills but also nurturing a sense of cultural identity and belonging among B.C.’s Vietnamese professionals. Mac notes that even though these classes are held at a beginner level, they are valued as a starting place for their members and even non-members to learn the language to better communicate with those in the Vietnamese community.

The organization also works to support Vietnamese-organized events around the province.

“We always have our table, a booth there to support the event’s promoter,” he says. “And of course, if the events need any support or sponsorship when it comes to finances, we’ll try our best to support that way as well.”

As the organization continues to grow, VPABC remains focused on bridging generations, preserving heritage and creating opportunities for Vietnamese professionals to engage meaningfully with their cultural roots and the broader community.

For more information, see www.vpabc.ca