By Wendy X. Yang, 7th Grader

The Hmong New Year is usually celebrated in December. It takes at least one to two weeks to celebrate it. It is the most important event for all Hmong people.

The Hmong people prepare food ready for the New Year. Before the New Year begins, every Hmong household needs to prepare and store a lot of food, drinks and firewood in their houses. When the New Year begins, all of Hmong people stop working and studying. Because it is time to relax, eat, visit friends and relatives from one place to another.

Every Hmong family celebrates the New Year because it is part of the culture. The ancestors have had celebrated it for centuries. The young people enjoy it and keep celebrate it every year. The Hmong people have the opportunity to meet one another, and get to know each other well. They learn to prepare for the New Year, the culture and tradition from the elderly.

Hmong have activities at home and in the field. In the field, they put on their outfits and go into the field for tossing ball to each other. Some of them dance and sing. They also have ball contest between girls and boys. Many young people get married during the New Year and after the New Year because the fall in love. Many people play spinning top, because it is the major sport of Hmong people. They have small, medium, large, and extra-large size of tops to play. They have many contests in the field all day. They usually compete each other as a group of four or five. At home, each family cooks chicken, beef, pork and vegetable for good meals. During meals time, they go out to the field to invite friends, relatives and neighbors who live around them to eat their meals with them. They have a lot of fun together by drinking beer, water, soda, juice, tea and whisky. There are many people get drunk and fall sleep.

The Hmong people should preserve and enrich the New Year celebration. The New Year is the most valuable event. They need to learn and to share how to prepare for the New Year, and the interesting activities from one another. Without the New Year, they will not have any major event to celebrate. Therefore, they have to preserve their own New Year for them to celebrate each year.

Finally, the Hmong people are friendly from every where and New Year brings them together to be as a family.