PRINT ADS

The Hmong community in the Coulee Region kicked off a new year with ceremonial fanfare. Instead of fireworks, they sent balloons into the air to officially release the old year and welcome the new.

This year’s celebration, held this past weekend at West Salem’s Veterans Memorial Park, enjoyed the greatest attendance since the festivities began in the area in 1982.

“Last year we had about 5,000,” said Nao Xiong Moua, Vice President of the La Crosse Area Hmong Mutual Assistance Association. “This year, there’s many more.” He has been in the U.S. for 20 years and lives in La Crosse.

A continual parade of cars lined up trying to get into the park by midday Saturday, so there was no immediate estimate of attendees, but Captain Jeff Wolf of the La Crosse County Sheriff’s department said, “we’ve never run out of parking space before.”

While emcee Yia Vang kept the crowd entertained with his singing, dignitaries from all over gathered for the opening ceremony. Among those attending were Wisconsin State Sen. Dan Kapanke, Assembly Rep. Jennifer Schilling, village of West Salem president Dennis Manthei and many other county and local representatives.

The opening “Ceremony of Receiving” represents accepting and celebrating the New Year, along with the committee of people who arranged all the festivities. It includes cutting a cord that marks the doorway to a new year with special dignitaries crossing the threshold and taking a sip of wine representing their acceptance of the invitation.

The first Hmong American elected to a state legislature, Sen. Mee Moua in Minnesota, officially cut the cord of the doorway and welcomed all the guests. She said she has been in the U.S. since 1978.

In her area in Minnesota, the New Year is celebrated over Thanksgiving. “We are the largest Hmong community outside of Asia,” she said of the Minnesota Hmong population. “When we have our New Year, 30,000 to 40,000 people come from all over the world.”

In Laos, the New Year is celebrated in the winter. In this country, the New Year is celebrated at different times depending on where in the country one is located. “We have celebrations two or three times a year,” said Kenny Moua from Holmen. “That is so if we miss one, we can celebrate another time and still see our friends and family. We don’t have to miss a celebration.”

After all the dignitaries were seated, young women and men lined up facing each other and tossed a tennis ball or other small rubber ball to one another to again welcome the new year.

“The tennis ball is a toast to the New Year,” said Kenny. “You’ll see people all over the park tossing balls to one another.”

Kenny was dressed in the traditional garb of the men of the culture. “It’s simple, nothing fancy, like our traditional life,” he said. “The necklace worn represents accepting the committee.” Kenny is a junior at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse studying information systems and business management.

While the men dress in traditional black pants and jackets, and some with hats, the females are very colorful and all wear hats. Pang Moua, the chairwoman of the event, said the different colors of the costumes represent the area of Laos the family is from. “There are White Hmong, Blue Hmong, Flowery Hmong,” she said. The hats must be of the same style and coloring as the dress. Mixing and matching hats is not part of the tradition.

The coins in the jewelry adorning costumes of both men and women represent the wealth of the family.

Pang Moua, a social worker for La Crosse County’s Care Management Organization, feels very fortunate to be picked as the chairwoman, even though her reign ended with the weekend’s celebration. She has spent all of last year chairing eight subcommittees planning for the New Year festivities.

Pang is the third female chairwoman of the event. “The door is open to women now. Women never have a voice. They are part of back scene in this country. Now we have more opportunity. It is a great thing for our younger generation.”

Hundreds of booths filled the park, as did smoke from many grills cooking traditional Hmong dishes of chicken, pork, beef and fish. With huge portions of everything, appetites were sated and people enjoyed the music and dancing that followed the opening ceremonies. There were also sports events of soccer tournaments and volleyball tournaments.