Hmong New Year in Merced to fill weekend with culture, food
A colorful display of Hmong culture, dress and food is planned throughout the weekend in Merced, where people will celebrate Hmong New Year.
Visitors can expect to see traditional Hmong clothing, covered in jangling coins and intricate stitching, dance performances, players of a flutelike instrument called a “qeej” and sellers of traditional cuisine during the three-day celebration that begins at 10 a.m. Friday and continues through Sunday.
It is common for many people to come from out of the area and out of the state to take part in the performances and fellowship. The event is organized by Merced Lao Family Community Inc.
The celebration has had a home in Merced County for 33 years, according to the group’s website. There are more than 7,000 Hmong in Merced, according to Hmong Studies Journal’s special issue on the 2010 census.
Past events have drawn 2,000 people for the opening ceremonies, guest speakers and other officials. The programs each day begin at 10 a.m., but the gate opens earlier.
Attendance typically reaches about 5,000 on both Saturday and Sunday.
Hmong New Year is considered the most important time of year for many people of Hmong descent.
Cultural dance and pageant contests begin Saturday at 10 a.m. and continue through the afternoon. Saturday after 5 p.m. takes on a party atmosphere when locals welcome out-of-town visitors.
The competitions culminate Sunday.
Other activities pepper all three days, including modern sports and more traditional games. Planned are “kator,” a game involving a net and a woven wooden ball, and “tuj lub,” in which players try to knock over competitors’ spinning tops.
“Pov pob” will also be on display throughout the weekend. The tradition gives young men and women a chance to interact by throwing a ball back and forth.
Fans of Hmong cuisine can expect papaya salad, sticky rice, Hmong sausage, boba drinks and smoked meats, among other foods.
There is a $3 fee to enter the fairgrounds, 900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, and $5 for fairground parking.
For more on the events, call Merced Lao Family Community Inc. at (209) 384-7384 or email mlfc@laofamilymerced.org. The organization has moved its office to 1748 Miles Court, Suite B.
Sun-Star staff writer Thaddeus Miller can be reached at (209) 385-2453 or tmiller@mercedsunstar.com.
This story was originally published December 16, 2014 at 4:50 PM with the headline "Hmong New Year in Merced to fill weekend with culture, food."