This weekend marked the beginning of the Lunar New Year, one of the most important holidays for Asian communities throughout the world and in the D.C. region.

In Falls Church, members of the Vietnamese diaspora celebrated their version of the holiday, which is known as Tết. Hundreds of people gathered at the Eden Center, which has long been considered a central hub for the local Vietnamese community.

Among those who wanted to start off on the right foot this new year was Stephanie Tran, whose mother was born in Vietnam. She says the celebrations make her feel closer to her family.

“Tết means, like, the new beginnings,” says Tran, 16, who lives in D.C. “It really marks like, reunion and just getting together [with] family and really reflecting on yourself.”

Lion dancers and firecrackers were deployed to ring in the Year of the Cat. In Vietnamese tradition – and many others – the sounds are supposed to bring fortune in the new year.

“It scares away all the bad spirits and all the bad luck,” says Lena Phan, a high school student from Burke, Va.

For Phan, who is on a team of lion dancers, the tradition is another way that she feels connected to her heritage. She says she wants to pass it on to future generations.

“Our parents, they struggled a lot to come here from Vietnam, especially during the war. And them seeing us do this, preserve their culture, it gives them kind of a sense of like warmth,” says Phan.

Along with the performances, people like Huan Vo set up wishing trees for people to write down their hopes for the new year. Vo, who was born in Vietnam and lives in Fairfax, says he’s especially grateful this year for the contributions of those who came before him to establish the Eden Center.

“For those who are immigrant [and] refugee people, they brought the culture here,” says Vo, who helps run his brother’s business nearby. “And we want to pass that on to other generations. So this is a beautiful moment for us to keep doing this one every year.”

Along with wishes for health and happiness, people asked for peace. The festival happened on the same day as the early morning mass shooting in Monterey Park – a community in California that is historically and predominantly Asian-American.

“Of course, we are feeling bad about [the shooting] so that’s why we try our best to keep everybody safe,” says Kevin Pham, the president of the Vietnamese-American-Community of DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

According to the Fairfax County Police, the event had an increased law enforcement presence at the Eden Center for community engagement reasons, rather than in relation to the shooting. For Pham, safety was the biggest priority for the event.

“We are unified in a solid, very strong group to do whatever we can take. Together, we can do big things,” says Pham.

Despite the news of the shooting, people like Eric Nguyen were excited to be at the festival. He’s lived in Fairfax for almost 50 years since leaving Vietnam, and said he’s proud to share his traditions with others.

“Everywhere you go, you bring your own tradition to the country,” says Nguyen. “So we let people know from all over the world, this is how Asians celebrate.”

Although they live in Richmond, Elizabeth Doung’s family made the drive to the Eden Center because Tết holds a special place in their hearts and tummies.

“It’s where you get to celebrate with your family,” says Doung, 11. “And you get to spend it with your family. You get to eat all this yummy food.”

For Nathan Nguyen, who considers himself a second-generation Vietnamese-American, the Lunar New Year celebrations are what make the Eden Center a special place in the D.C. region. He says it’s what helped him learn more about who he is.

“It’s always been a big part of my life, my culture,” says Nguyen, who lives in Germantown, Md. “We always celebrate Tết because [my parents] always wanted to introduce me to the tradition, to the culture. So even though I was born here, I think I’ve always had a sense of my heritage actually.”

Van Loung says she too feels like the Eden center is a place that she can call home; one that draws in the Vietnamese community from all over.

“We’re very proud because we are Asian,” says Loung. “We’re very proud and then very [appreciative] that we have Eden Center.”

It’s a similar feeling of belonging for Nghia Vo, who was born in Vietnam and currently lives in Silver Spring, Md. “I wish they allowed this in Maryland, too, with all these fireworks. That’s what makes me miss Vietnam.”