Lunar New Year is the most significant celebration of the year for Vietnamese people. It is a time for families to reunite, for younger generations to remember their roots, and to exchange heartfelt wishes for the year ahead.
Mekong Aged Care always strives to preserve these beautiful cultural traditions for our residents – from apricot blossoms, watermelons, and traditional sticky rice cakes, to the joyful melodies that signal the arrival of Spring.
At both the Keilor and Cairnlea facilities, on the morning of 17 February 2026 (the first day of the Lunar New Year), Lifestyle staff organised an outdoor ancestral offering ceremony for residents. Though simple, the offering table – with fresh fruits, flowers, sticky rice cakes, and sweet desserts – was carefully prepared, allowing each resident to light incense, express their respect to ancestors and pray for a peaceful and harmonious new year.
The celebration continued at the Keilor facility on the second day of the Lunar New Year with a special musical program featuring Vietnamese opera artists, whose nostalgic melodies evoked cherished memories of homeland and family. However, the most applauded performance was by the residents themselves, dressed in colourful traditional Vietnamese dresses, performing a fan dance to the song Ly Ruou Mung.
At the Cairnlea facility, the third-day celebration was equally vibrant, featuring an Ao Dai showcase by residents along with lively dance and singing performances by local artists.
As part of the annual tradition, representatives of the IERA-Vic Executive Committee and the Mekong Management Team extended warm and sincere New Year wishes to all residents. On behalf of IERA-Vic, Ms Van Trinh (Treasurer), Ms U Truong (Head of Kensington Brach), and Ms Dung Tran (Head of St Albans Branch) also presented red lucky envelopes to residents as New Year blessings.
To conclude, we would like to share a heartfelt reflection from one of our residents: “Although we are not always close to our children and grandchildren here, we constantly feel the love and dedicated care from the staff. From daily meals and healthcare support to their thoughtful words and kindness – everything makes us feel valued and respected.”
We sincerely wish all our residents a new year filled with good health, prosperity, and happiness.
