WESTMINSTER, Calif. — Flowers are much more than just a pretty sight for Thuy Ai Truong.

“I’m a big fan of orchids. I love them so much,” said Truong, a flower vendor.

What You Need To Know

  • The annual Flower Festival, which is held at Asian Garden Mall in Westminster, is the hub for the largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam

  • Thuy Ai Truong is celebrating her 15th year selling flowers, decorations and fruits to help customers ring in Lunar New Year celebrations

  • Truong says each year the climate affects the growth of flowers

  • Truong says she enjoys meeting customers who are from out-of-state and drive all the way to the festival to purchase things for the holidays

To her, flowers, especially orchids, play an important role in the celebration of Lunar New Year.

Truong says that when customers bring home bright colored orchids for the new year it makes them happy and wishful for the upcoming year.

Orchids in the Vietnamese culture are a symbol of status, abundance and luxury.

For the last 15 years, Truong has helped thousands of people who flock to the annual Flower Festival in search of good fortune. The festival is held during the weeks leading up to the New Year at Asian Garden Mall in Little Saigon, a hub for the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam.

Customers either live nearby or out of state, where it’s difficult to find the flowers and decorations needed to ring in the holiday. The last day of the festival is on January 31 and the mall will hold a Firecracker Festival at noon on February 1.

“It’s hard work, but I enjoy it,” Truong said.

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The types of orchids and ranges of colors she’s able to find depend on the climate each year.

“When you grow something, only God knows. Because sometimes the weather changes, it’s too hot or too cold, it’s so windy or something happen. It may destroy the flower,” Truong said.

So far, luck has been on her side.

“Come here people and enjoy it,” Truong added.

While Lunar New Year is mostly celebrated among Asian people, Truong says it’s a chance for everyone to put the last year behind them and welcome the good fortune the Year of the Tiger will bring.