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Community Corner

Lowell Southeast Asian Water Festival

The
Lowell Southeast Asian Water Festival is a free cultural event that attracts
more than 60,000 spectators from all over the country--and internationally.



Enjoy traditional Dances & Music, Live
Bands, Fashion Show, Traditional Boat Races, Games & Activities,
International Foods, Arts & Crafts from Southeast Asia, and more! 



Event highlights include traditional long
boat-racing for competition and pride; traditional New Year celebrations; and
to educate the new generations of their valued heritage and culture; and to
promote a fully meaningful cultural exchange between the peoples of the United
States of America and the countries of Southeast Asia, including, but not
limited to: Cambodia; Laos; Philippines; Thailand and Vietnam. 



Pick up your FREE tickets at the Lowell National
Historical Park's table (located at the Games & Activities area). 



About the Organization

The Lowell Southeast Asian Water Festival, Inc.
is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, protection and
sharing of the cultural heritages of the Southeast Asian Americans of Greater
Lowell, Massachusetts area.



The organization promotes mutual harmony and
understanding among Southeast Asian Americans and others through arts, cultural
festivals, educational programs, historical research and discovery, religious
ceremonial practices and rituals as having originated in Southeast Asia.



Water is Life

In the capitals of Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and
Vietnam, the Water Festival is an annual event celebrating the connection of
water in all aspects of life — food, agriculture, spirituality and economic
prosperity. Families journey from remote areas of the country by cars,
motorcycles, bicycles, ox, boats, and in some cases by foot to take part in the
festival. Most come as spectators, cheering from the shore. The brave come to
compete in the boat racing event — determined to win a trophy for their
village. 



Rowing teams with their colorful hand crafted
wooden boats — some as long as 60 feet and holding up to 25 rowers come to
compete with enthusiasm, pride and the dream of winning. Long before the race,
each team devote many months to perfecting rowing in unison that is guided by
the beating of the drums. Legend is said that team members must embody the
spiritual power and strength to become one when they row during competition.
After having first prepared the physical conditions of their boats, the teams
name their boats to capture the essence of the supernatural power. Once in
perfect conditions, each village boat is blessed by the village monks in
preparation for the race. 



On the banks of the river, thousands of
spectators, young and old alike, crowd over each other as everyone tries to get
a better glimpse, cheering on the speeding boats that pass by. Everyone enjoys
the sideline entertainments — street vendors and activities along the banks of
the river. 



Thousands of miles away, along the banks of
Lowell's Merrimack River, the water festival tradition continues. Just as the
rice paddies that feed the people of Southeast Asia depend on water, so too did
the mills that made Lowell a vital part of the Industrial Revolution need the
waterfalls of the Merrimack River. We are united in recognizing and celebrating
the role of water in our lives' past, present and future. Water is Life! 



The History of the Water Festival

For centuries in Southeast Asian, the Water
Festival has celebrated importance of water in aspects of life. Water has
always represented prosperity, life and goodness to the Southeast Asian people.
Buddhist scripture explains that the Water Festival is held to thank the spirit
of the water, to pray for evil spirits to go away, and to honor the Dragon King
who dwells in the water. The Festival also asks the water spirit for forgiveness
for 'dirtying ' the water- for example by using it to irrigate soil.



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