HOLLAND, Mich. — At the Lao Buddhist Temple of Holland on Saturday hundreds of people enjoyed live singing, traditional foods, dancing, a Lao beauty pageant and of course, some water splashing.
"The saying goes, 'You splash water on people to wash away all of your bad,'" said Alompradith Sphabmixay, one of the festival's organizers.
It's a tradition in Laos to splash water on people to wish blessings for the new year.
Pi Mai Lao, or the Lao New Year, is a traditional holiday in Laos and for Laotians around the world.
While the festival is officially observed in April, Laotians in West Michigan wait until the summer to gather for the celebration when the weather best permits them to be splashed and to celebrate outside.
People paraded around the temple while splashing water three times to bless the temple grounds, but to also bless those attending.
Live music filled the air around the temple, as people danced along to the beats of classic Laotian pop, while various local Laotian businesses offered delicacies.
"We are a small community here in West Michigan, there's about 3,000 of Laotians here in West Michigan, and this is a great way to get people involved, to show the world about Laos," said Sphabmixay.
Sphabmixay said much of the community originally arrived as refugees. He said seeing people of different backgrounds and several generations of families enjoying the festival made his heart feel full.
"As a refugee myself into this country, it means the world to me," said Sphabmixay. "I have two boys, 10 and 13, to show them that this is who we are. And, yes, we are somewhat displaced in a different country, there is still a community where we could still come and belong and be who we are. And, you know, we want to bring that on to generations beyond us."
Greg Blackburn said he enjoys attending the festival each year with his wife and child, as a mixed Laotian-American family.
"It feels great we know that we can depend on the community, year after year, everybody's here to support each other and everything is reflected in positivity here," said Blackburn.
The Lao Buddhist Temple of Holland has also seen extensive growth through the past several years, with it recently expanding. Sphabmixay said they look forward to seeing their temple and their festival continue to grow.
"Everybody's welcome," said Sphabmixay. "We would love for the surrounding states and the communities to come together to make it even a bigger festival."
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