Is it the Year of the Rabbit or the Year of the Cat? It’s both! For me, because I am Vietnamese, this is the Year of the Cat. The Lunar New Year for the Chinese Zodiac and the Vietnamese Zodiac are nearly identical except for two signs— the water buffalo vs. ox and this year’s cat vs. rabbit.
Stop and go to Google and type “Tet” into the search terms. Take a look!
Tết is really all-encompassing for us. It’s Thanksgiving, birthday, and Christmas all rolled into one national holiday. It can last 7-10 days, but the most important day is the first day — today. It means calling my parents to wish them a happy new year no matter where I am in the world.
And what’s important to me today is to wish you good health and happiness as you navigate this year. I hope both health and happiness come to you in abundance. I really believe that giving and generosity returns to us in spades. I have gained so much from volunteering for years through this work —the most important is gaining new friends that I will have for life. (It’s given me a job and healthcare, too.)
