By Ryan Horan
On Sunday, Aug. 7, The Midtown Utica Community Center hosted a Karen wrist-tying ceremony and world dance workshop outside of their building on Scott Street.
The wrist-tying is a ceremony held by the Karen People, a group of people from Burma and Thailand, in which white thread is tied to the wrist of everyone in attendance. It is a Karen tradition with many different interpretations of what the meaning may be.
The dance workshop, which followed the wrist-tying, featured dancers from many cultures, including Karen and Somali-Bantu, sharing and teaching their dance with the community.
In addition to the ceremony and dance, there were also games, Karen food, and cutouts to take pictures in.
All of this was hosted by The Midtown Utica Community Center, who opened their doors to the Karen living in Utica and helped run the event.