ASHWAUBENON - The area’s Hmong community began ushering out the old and readying for the new at a pre-New Year festival on Saturday.
The gathering, at the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena, featured a dance and talent competition, ethnic food, traditional Hmong costumes and the ball toss, a social game played by tossing a shiny ball back and forth between boys and girls.
Organizers expected several thousand people to attend throughout the day. Several hundred people mingled around the arena floor and bleachers on Saturday afternoon. A dinner was planned for Saturday night.
The Hmong New Year hinges on the arrival of November?s new moon, which falls Thanksgiving, and is a traditional celebration of fall harvest, said Pai Lee, chairwoman of the event.
Pa Houa, a host, said the event draws Hmong people from around Northeastern Wisconsin.
Many at Saturday’s event wore traditional Hmong garb, highlighted by bright colors and lots of coin-like ornaments which jingles continually while walking or moving.
But Makato Yang, 24, of Green Bay, wore a different costume - his green Army National Guard dress uniform - as part of the event’s color guard. Had he not been escorting the flag, he would have been in traditional Hmong wear.
“The Hmong New Year is about getting everybody together and sharing the bounty”, said Yang. “It’s about new things and looking forward to the future.”
“It’s a day to rejoice and celebrate.”
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Source:? http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20081025/GPG0101/81025062/1207/GPG01
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