Lao New Year Festival celebrates Laotian culture in Louisiana

BROUSSARD, La. — A Buddhist monastery is settled proper behind a quiet neighborhood and yearly hosts one of many largest three-day festivals in Louisiana.

The Louisiana Lao neighborhood got here to be over 40 years in the past, when immigrants from Lao selected to name Broussard their house.

The primary technology of Laotians would then construct Wat Thammarattanaram Temple in Lanxang Village.

Phanat Xanamane, an organizer of the pageant says this celebration for Laos folks, is to depart the previous and embrace a brand new future.

“New 12 months for the Lao folks is a time for rebirth and renewal, it includes a whole lot of water and washing, ” Xanamane. “That is all to indicate revival in our lives and renew the spirit for the subsequent 12 months.”

Conventional dances held on the pageant, inform a narrative about progress although its dance actions.

“The dance represents a brand new journey a brand new custom for us as a result of we plant a flower seed after which it grows up be a younger seedling,” mentioned Kiraly Chongdy, dancer. “So it means a brand new journey for us, a brand new opening for us.”

Xanamane is joyful that Lao traditions have come to date and simply needs to proceed them for generations to return.

“I am hoping to simply add to that and train the subsequent technology and Lao youngsters right here in Louisiana about their tradition and assist them have fun it,” mentioned Xanamane.