by Roxy Krietzman, Photo Editor

On Tuesday, November 26th, Gary Vang, senior, walked into school like normal. But today was different. Today, the sound of jingling surrounded him. Today, he wore a colorful and traditional outfit. Today, he celebrated the Hmong new year.

Before Vang was a student at HHS, he attended Patrick Henry High School in Minneapolis.

“At Patrick Henry, dressing up in traditional Hmong clothing during the New Year was just something we would do every year,” Vang said.

Vang is the president of the Asian Culture Club at HHS.

“When I became a student at HHS, I wanted to continue the tradition here,” Vang said.

Vang, along with ten other students at HHS, dressed in traditional Hmong clothing that are embellished with hundreds of coins hanging from tassels.

“The traditional clothing has coins on it because, back in the day, if you were rich you were able to put money on your clothing,” Vang said.

The Hmong New Year, celebrated annually, signifies the end of the harvesting season. Throughout the months of November and December, Hmong enjoy traditional food, dancing, music, and a popular game among the children called pov pob. During a game of pov pob, commonly known as “Tossing the Ball,” boys and girls line up in two separate lines facing each other. A girl can toss a ball with other girls or boys, but a boy cannot toss a ball with other boys.

“‘Tossing the Ball’ is kind of like flirting. It’s all about having fun and getting to know one another,” Vang said.

Although each Hmong family has their own unique way of celebrating the New Year, a large event is being held this weekend at the RiverCentre in St. Paul, MN. The celebration will include music and entertainment, a dance competition, and a Miss Hmong Minnesota Pageant.