Sunday, April 15, 2018

Celebrating Bengali New Year


Yesterday Brooklyners were privy to celebrating Pahela Baishakh, the Bengali New Year right at home.  The Avenue C Plaza was open for revelers who came dressed in red, wearing masks to get their faces painted and enjoy Bangladeshi music, along with an all-female Samba drumline performance.  The event ended with a parade to Church Avenue and back.

The event was organized by the Bangladesh Institute of Performing Arts (which was actually founded exactly 25 years ago in New York).  Jill Reiner helped to organize the event and made some of the dance masks that were used.  She said she really loved it this year and remarked on how “wonderful” it was to “see such a diverse group.”  She added: “People are beginning to introduce themselves to elements of a culture they don’t know about.”