A Boomyah New Year

By now most of you in the western world have both feet firmly planted in 2008. Other cultures, however, celebrate the turn of the new year after January 1. China, for instance, rang in their new year on February 7. The Boomyah are eagerly anticipating their new year celebration on March 7. This week they cleaned out their temples, taking all of the instruments of worship to the beach for a ceremonial cleansing by a hindu priest. They met at the town temple and walked together as a community the 1/2 mile to the beach. Thousands of Boomyah people showed up wearing their traditional clothes.

They walked with their friends.

And their families.

To meet at the beach and pray together.

With the masks and costumes that represent their gods spread before them.