On Saturday, Jan. 21 a dance group from Pho Hien Lions performed the dragon and lion dances to bring in the new Vietnamese New Year known as Tet Nguyen Dan.

They performed in the parking lot outside the First Point Urgent Care, 907 E. Lincoln Lane.

It is the year of the Cat in the Vietnamese calendar versus the year of the rabbit in the Chinese calendar. The cat is said to represent transformation leading to peace and tranquility. The Year of the Cat is said to bring good luck and smooth sailing.

Vietnam shares 10 of the 12 zodiac symbols with China, but celebrates the cat instead of the rabbit.

Meo is Vietnamense for cat. It is the fourth animal symbol in the 12 year Vietnamese Zodiac cycle. People born in the year of the Cat are said to be composed, patient, kind-hearted and esteemed.

The Chinese word for rabbit is Mao, which is similar to Vietnam’s Meo for cat.

Carmen Bolivar, CMA at First Point Urgent Care, said the owners of the clinic are Vietnamese and wanted to “share this experience with the community.”

“The lion dance brings good health and prosperity,” she said.

Bolivar said staffs from the both the Gardner and Kansas City clinics celebrate the Lunar New Year every year together.

“We are not just co-workers,” she said. “We are family.”

The Pho Hien Lion Dance Troupe is a non-profit dance group from the Pho Hien Temple in Kansas City, Missouri.