WOW! So what are the differences in the American and Hmong New Year ceremony/ traditions in modern time? How are they celebrated? Well, as you know, the American New Year and the Hmong New year isn’t as similar. For example, the Hmong New Year contains many days and many more traditions;  American New Year contains at least one to two days which has at least one to two types of traditions. The American New Year is celebrated in America;  most Hmong New Year is also celebrated throughout the United States. “In the United States, the most iconic New Year’s tradition is dropping a giant ball in New York City’s Times Square at the stroke of midnight” (History.com staff). “The traditions of the American New Year are attending to parties, eating special foods, making New Year’s Resolutions for the new year and watch firework displays” (History.com staff). When eating the foods that are made on New Year’s Day, it is considered to bring goodluck to the rest of the year, although there are certain types of foods to be eaten. “Some Americans eat certain foods either at New Year’s Eve parties or on New Year’s Day to bring goodluck” (Archuleta). On New Year’s Day, there would be a huge party in Times Square, in New York City. In parties and events, there would be many supplies that are originally there. For example, noisemakers to scare As the last ten seconds of the new year has come, there would be a huge ball weighing about 11,875 pounds counting down the remaining seconds. As the countdown or the ball starts to come down, people would stop at what they’re doing and would start to countdown the seconds with the ball. When everybody stops and counts down the seconds, it brings everyone that is there together. “At the stroke of midnight, many people toast to the new year with a glass of champagne” (Archuleta). There is a little background to the ball. The ball was invented before the World War II. Before the ball was created, there was fireworks that celebrated the new year. As the World War II came, the new year celebrations became quieter as years passed by. Back to modern time, as the ball’s countdown gets a zero, there would be firework shows to celebrate the new year. When the ball was first represented, it was lower down by men because it was very heavy, weighing 700 pounds. Now that the ball weighs a lot more, it is lowered down on a flagpole like. As the party is held in Times Square, there would be very special guests performing at the top of a building where the ball is. Usually there would be about 2 million people in Times Squares; over 1 million people watched a livestream of the party online. Some watches the firework shows online also. The traditions of the American New Year is usually or even always celebrated with at least a bottle of champagne. Some other traditions are; writing new year’s resolution, singing songs to farewell the old year, and eating food to bring them luck the following year. As the Hmong New Year comes, most shamanism people would eat 30 or “hu plig” which means calling out for your wandering spirits to come home before the year ends. As an event is held, occasionally from October to December, “on the first of the new moon in the twelfth month” (Bankston III). When this kind of events is occurring, it goes from three days (minimum) to a whole week (maximum). Usually in the months of when the new moon occurs. The Hmong New year is considered a must because it “brings together people from different clans” (Bankston III). “The New Year festival (noj peb caug) is the most important Hmong American holiday” (Bankston III). The Hmong New Year is to teach or remind the new generation about the hmong culture. Three traditional traditions of the Hmong New Year event is beauty pageants, ball tossing, and wearing traditional clothings. Sometimes people would sing, dance, or join the beauty pageant. As people do this things, it would take months for lots of practices because they could be competing or just for fun. When the event is held, ball tossing is a way of how young couples could meet. When ball tossing is occurring, they would sometimes sing a very traditional song to the other person. Sometimes there could be a singing contest where if you lose then you would have to marry them. Before the new year ends, a “eat 30” so called “hu plig”  or just ceremonies in general “is to get rid of the evil influences of the old year and to invoke good fortune for the new” (Bankston III). The Hmong New Year is mainly celebrated in America; called the Hmong American Holiday. The Hmong leaders of the committee would be the people who hosts the events for each new year throughout the event. Finally, Do you see any difference? There are plenty of differences but does some sort of similarities. Some similarities is going to events or parties to celebrate a new year. Another is to bring lots of fortune or luck into the following year. Then the evilness of the old year is to be left behind by calling the home or scaring them away. These New Year events brings people together. Some of the differences are that the Hmong New Year can make people get married or meet each other. The Hmong New Year is to sacrifice chickens to call the good spirits back home. The American New Year is to scare away any evilness or evil spirits with noisemakers.