With the snap and sizzle of firecrackers to shoo away any evil spirits and ring in the Year of the Snake with nothing but good luck, crowds gathered at the Asian Garden Mall on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate Tet, the Vietnamese version of the Lunar New Year.Orange County’s diverse Asian communities will be celebrating the new year as heralded by the first new moon of the lunar calendar for several more days with community events and family gatherings.

Already, over the weekend, the city of Santa Ana hosted its Lunar New Year celebration and crowds gathered in Garden Grove for the Flower Street on Historic Main two-day event. Thousands gathered again late into the night Tuesday in Garden Grove, celebrating with firecrackers in the street. Even more visited the Asian Garden Mall in Westminster on Wednesday for its annual Firecracker Show, which also featured lion dancers and other entertainers.

The big Westminster Tet Parade through the heart of Little Saigon — and broadcast to audiences around the globe — will be on Saturday and the UVSA’s 42nd annual Tet Festival will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Garden Grove Park.

Area shopping centers that serve large Asian communities have been hosting special events, as has Disneyland, the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and other OC destinations.

OnScene.TV contributed to this report.