I just wanted to share this video I found on You Tube that gives you an idea about what Hmong New Year is all about. The Hmong culture in Fresno is a wonderful part of our diversity and I don't think people realize what a large population we have in the area.
The ball tossing game you see some people in the crowd playing isn't directly related to the new year. Wikipedia describes it:
"During the Hmong New Year celebration, the Hmong ball tossing game pov pob is a common activity for adolescents. Boys and girls form two separate lines in pairs that are directly facing one another. Girls can ball toss with other girls or boys, but boys cannot ball toss with other boys. It is also taboo to toss the ball to someone of the same clan. The pairs toss a cloth ball back and forth, until one member drops the ball. If a player drops or misses the ball, an ornament or item is given to the opposite player in the pair. Ornaments are recovered by singing love songs (hais kwv txhiaj) to the opposite player.[1] but in recent times, in such areas as China, the young lovers have been seen to carry tape players to play their favorite love songs for one another."
To learn more about the Hmong culture according to wikipedia click HERE.
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