Muab saib los tos Hmoob tsi tsim tug txiaj dab tsi los Hmoob xav ua li
cas tes ua xwb.. Why don't they call a summer festival instead calling
it a Hmong New year. Read it yourself.

Faj

FITCHBURG— The Hmong community of Central Massachusetts gathered at
Saima Park this weekend to say goodbye to 2008 and welcome in the new
year.

President Kao Yang of the United Hmong of Massachusetts explained that
traditionally, the Hmong celebrate New Year’s in December, but because
of winter weather, many community leaders along the Eastern seaboard
decided to celebrate the holiday while it was still warm.

The Massachusetts celebration was the first.

“Next month in October there will be a celebration in Providence, then
in New York. The Midwest Hmong community will celebrate in October and
November and the main celebration will take place in Fresno,
California, at the end of December,” said Be Yang, a member of the
association.

That celebration in California begins with a parade. A king and queen
are elected; there are contests, sporting events and parties that last
for a week.

“We open in August and they close in California on January 1. We all
go to celebrate and see relatives and to show respect,” Mr. Yang
said.

The celebration in Central Massachusetts began on Saturday with a
shaman saying a ritual prayer to commemorate those who have died and
to bless those still living. Mayor Lisa A. Wong and the president of
the association cut a ceremonial ribbon, and the celebration of
sports, food, traditional dances and games began.

Mr. Yang said Hmong community members from Pennsylvania, Connecticut,
New York, Minnesota and Michigan were at this weekend’s celebrations.

“When we came here, some families were sponsored by a church here or
another group in another state and we are now finding relatives and
cousins from all over, and this is when we see them all again,” Mr.
Yang said.

The weekend celebration centered on traditional food: many variations
of Laotian and Thai foods, including pad Thai — noodles stir fried
with bean sprouts, parsley, scallions, pork laab (rice, pork, lime
sauce and green peppers), pho noodle soup, barbecued chicken wings,
fried meatballs, and more.

Dara Sri came all the way from New York City to offer up her special
dishes — fish and tofu balls, crab cakes, spicy sausages Laotian
style, papaya salad with fish sauce and a dessert made of jack fruit,
black pearl fruit, coconut and coconut milk.

“My favorite is the shredded papaya. It can be hot and spicy or sour,
and the sticky rice and meatballs are very good,” said 13-year-old Ada
Yang of Fitchburg, who later performed a traditional Hmong dance.

The girls explained that the bamboo sticks filled with either a black
or white sticky rice and topped with shredded coconut were desserts
and very sweet.

“We get dressed up for Hmong parties and the New Year’s and dance. We
make it up as we go!” said 15-year-old Chao.

Sher Thao of Leominster is a master apprentice on the qeej, a wind
instrument played by men and boys while dancing.

“My uncle is a master and I learned from him and I am now training
this group to perform,” he said of a group of boys aged 11 to 13 who
call themselves “the Punk Generation.”

Booths that lined the park’s roadway sold candies, herbal remedies for
headaches and stomachaches, toys, traditional dresses and headdresses,
movies and music CDs and DVDs.

Children dressed in traditional costume mixed with those dressed in
jeans and T-shirts, playing soccer, volleyball, and tus lub, a
spinning tops game.

Toua Thao of Fitchburg explained the fighting tops competition, which
yesterday featured three teams from Fitchburg throwing tops with
unerring accuracy from long sticks onto small squares of plastic
matting.

“There are three stages to the game. The first one, one guy from a
team spins his top on the mat; then from the other team, they try to
knock his top off the mat. You get a point if you do,” Mr. Yang said.

The second stage is similar, when just touching an opponent’s top
scores a point. The third and final stage of the game involves
knocking six tops set in a row for points.

The Kwv Tij team (the name translates as “brothers”) won the
competition, said Fuechee Yang. He is the only member of the team who
is not actually a brother; he is the son of one of the brothers.

Mr. Thao’s team, Muaj Kuab, which means “being powerful,” is competing
in Minnesota, where, he said, the tops teams are “very, very good.
They even have indoor gyms where they can practice every day, even in
the winter.”

The rules of the competition vary from state to state.

“Nyob Zooxyoo Tshiab to everyone,” said president Kao Yang. Happy New
Year!