Saturday’s Lao New Year celebrants at the Lao Buddhist Temple in east Visalia got a jump on the real thing overseas.
The celebration in Laos begins Tuesday. But who’s counting?
“It’s a time of renewal,” said Nang Khounpasert of Visalia, a Tulare County Superior Court staff member who helped organize Saturday’s dance events. “[It’s] out with anything bad from the old year, and we start brand new.”
Representatives of many nationalities, including several from Laos, were on hand Saturday.
One element of Saturday’s activities was a “water cleansing” tradition involving everything from old-fashioned water-poured-on-the-head ceremonies to squirt-gun fights between children. It’s 9-year-old Leeanna Bangon’s “favorite part” of the local Lao New Year celebration.
“I like to get wet,” said the Four Creeks Elementary School fourth-grader, who dressed in native costume as part of a dance troupe.
The dance teams did well despite little time spent practicing, Khounpasert said.
“We save [dancing] for the Lao New Year,” Leeana said.
About 500 people attended Saturday’s event, up from 300 last year, chief organizer Som Souryasack said.
“The weather is much better, much cooler than last year,” she said. “And we have our act together much better.”
Source : http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com
