In Laos, the New Year lasted seven days with soccer, top spinning, games and other different events. It was all held outside in December. For the single men, it was the only time to look at the girls to find a wife.
In Laos when people celebrated, they killed cows, pigs and chickens to eat. When people celebrated they needed a lot of food so other people could eat. In the United States, we usually kill cows, pigs and chickens, too. We cook rice, egg rolls, fry chicken, and cook cabbage, eggplant, broccoli and many more things.
When people play tossing ball, the girls line up on one side and the boys line up on the other side, looking at the girls. The people on one side each have a ball. Someone says, "Start." They toss it underhand so the other person can catch it. If a person drops a ball, the other person has to sing a song like back in Laos about love or sadness, or a song about his or her life. You get to know that boy or girl by singing a song. The person has to sing a song until someone drops a ball again.
The musical instruments we play for New Year's celebration are the kheng (qeej), flute, drum, guitar, mouth flute (ncaas) and mouth harp (ricas). The kheng (qeej) is played by men. While they play, they spin and turn and sometimes stand on one foot. These instruments and blowing leaves play the old songs. The music we play for the 90's is on the electric guitar, the drum, keyboard, flute, kheng (qeej), and mouth flute (ncaas). Sometimes people sing songs about life and love.
We keep having this celebration, so the children will remember the old days.
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