A plate overflows with dragon fruit, papaya, longan, sugar apples and sapote — each one grown, tended and plucked from the farmland of southern Miami-Dade.
Tam Le, who helps run 5 Sisters Fruit Farm with his wife, said each fruit signifies a certain word. A sugar apple signifies “pray” and papaya “enough.” All together, it means “pray for enough — for our family, for everything,” Le said.
Such an auspicious display of fruit is tradition in many Asian countries and among diaspora communities, where this week marks the start of Lunar New Year celebrations.
This holiday, which goes by Têt in Vietnam, is considered the most important one in the lunisolar calendar — like Thanksgiving and Christmas rolled into one. Marked by firecrackers and traditional dishes, Lunar New Year is dedicated to spending time with family, paying homage to ancestors and praying for good luck in the new year.
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It begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends 15 days later on the first full moon. Because the lunar calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, the dates of the holiday vary slightly each year, falling between late January and mid-February. This year, the Lunar New Year officially begins on Wednesday, marking the arrival of the Year of the Snake.
Because the date is not widely recognized in the United States, Le said they make time to celebrate.
“So we have to adapt to the environment, but we still have to keep our culture.“ he said. “It's a very big deal for us.”
What small Vietnamese community that does exist in South Florida coalesces at places of worship such as Hometead’s Phuoc Hue Buddhist Temple. Over its 20 year history, it has hosted large gatherings for the diaspora, including a New Year’s Eve service on Tuesday evening. Le said that over the weekend, many families from the South Florida Vietnamese community had already flocked to the temple for Têt celebrations.
Passing on traditions
Family is paramount at this time, particularly for Le and his wife, Tia Pham, who are raising two young daughters. They want to make sure they instill these traditions while they’re young — whether it’s greeting elders, attending service or wearing their traditional áo dài dresses.
“I like to spend time with my family and especially with my kids growing up here, we want them to know where we came from,” Pham said.
“We have to be proud of who you are... I'm proud [that] I'm Vietnamese. Anywhere I go, I make sure I keep that culture.”Tam Le
The farm, which specializes in fruit from Southeast Asia, plays a role in keeping that culture alive. Le said he often ships the fruit wholesale to Tampa, Orlando, Dallas and Houston where there are substantial Vietnamese communities.
Because South Florida has a subtropical climate that makes it conducive to cultivating fruits commonly found in Latin America and Asia, Le said he’s just one of several Southeast Asian farmers in the area. There is also a Vietnamese community in Davie, he adds.
“It doesn't matter where you come from. We have to be proud of who you are. I'm Vietnamese. I'm proud [that] I'm Vietnamese,” Le said. “Anywhere I go, I make sure I keep that culture.”
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*The Associated Press contributed to this report.
*An original version of this story incorrectly stated that 5 Sisters Fruit Farm was in Homestead.
