How to Make a Vietnamese Tet Dragon

Make a parade dragon for the next Tet celebrations.

Tet Nguyen Dan is the Vietnamese New Year, and since 500 B.C. a wide-spread festival to celebrate the arrival of spring takes over each community in Vietnam. The official national holiday lasts for only three days, but celebrations can last for as long as a week or 10 days, filled with activities meant to welcome luck and good fortune in the coming year. "Dragon dancing," where a group of people carry a decorative dragon through a party or parade, is meant to spread good heath and wealth.

Things You'll Need

• Large cardboard box
• Shoe box
• 6 short plastic cups
• Colored wrapping paper
• Cardboard tubes
• Thick construction paper
• 1, 2 or 3 long plastic table cloths

Instructions

Make a Parade Dragon

1. Wrap the large cardboard box (one big enough for a person to hide under and hold up) with wrapping paper of a solid color, leaving the back end open so the parade leader can control the dragon's head. Red is a popular choice, as it is considered lucky, but your dragon can be any color you desire. Wrap the shoe box, which will be your dragon's mouth, in another solid color and glue it towards the bottom of the solid side of the wrapped larger box, leaving room above for the dragon's nose, eyes and other features.

2. Glue short, colorful plastic cups on the large cardboard box to represent eyes and ears, and two more above the shoe box to give your dragon nostrils. Cut out triangles of construction paper to make teeth, spikes and other decorative details to make your dragon come alive. Cardboard tubes are perfect for horns, and eyebrows; a beard and mustache can be fashioned out of felt, cotton balls or string.

3. Staple or glue long plastic table cloths to the back of your dragon's head to make a tail for the other "dragon dancers" to hide under and move during Tet festivities. The tail can be any color, length or width you desire, but tradition calls for bold, vibrant colors that compliment the dragon's head. You can bunch or braid the ends of the plastic table cloths to give your dragon's tail a little extra detail.

References

• Adopt Vietnam: Celebrate Tet, the Vietnamese New Year
• University of Kansas Medical Center: Tet Nguyen Dan
• Adpot Vietnam: Make a Dragon Parade

Resources

• Adopt Vietnam