Delaware state legislators

dance Punjabi style

On Saturday, in celebration of Vaisakhi Day, my wife and I attended a jubilant exhibition of Punjabi folk dancing, hosted by the Sikh Center of Delaware. Vaisakhi was formerly a spring harvest festival.  It has become the most important Sikh annual celebration.  The event was attended by hundreds of Sikhs, men women and children.  Some Christians, Muslims, and Jains also attended.

My Sikh friend Charanjeet Minhas, pictured above, came up with the idea of inviting Delaware state legislators to dance.  Several gladly accepted his invitation, and they practiced with an instructor during the winter.  You can see them performing in colorful costumes in the video below.

While some states are banning books and resisting cultural exchange in many ways, I am very proud of my home state, Delaware, for encouraging such opportunities for learning.  The hosts of this interfaith and intercultural celebration couldn’t have been kinder and more hospitable, serving my wife and me scrumptious Indian food, and offering seats in the shade on a very sunny day when both were scarce, owing to the huge size of the crowd.