A Sampling of Vietnamese Arts and Traditions in Louisiana

Edited by Maida Owens

This slide show presents a sampling of the Vietnamese traditions practiced in south Louisiana between 2006 and 2009 in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Some of the traditions are specific to either the Catholic community or the Buddhist community, but many are shared by both. These include the importance of firecrackers, reverence for ancestors, the dragon dance, children making lanterns, and, of course, traditional foods. The images are provided by researchers involved in the New Populations project: Maida Owens, Mark Sindler, and Laura Westbrook.

Maida Owens is director of the Louisiana Division of the Arts Folklife Program. This slideshow was prepared as part of the New Populations Project in 2009.

JUMP TO … TOP OF PAGE RELATED RESOURCES Offerings to Kings and Buddha: Vietnamese Ritual Activities at Chua Bo De Preserving Vietnamese Culture and Language in Southern Louisiana: Altars as Symbols of Identity Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, in the New Orleans Vietnamese Community Vietnamese Lion / Dragon Dance The Many Faces of the Bayou State: New Populations in Louisiana Louisiana's Traditional Cultures: An Overview