Ceremonial Offering

DC's Freer gallery of the arts re-opened today after renovations. Together with its sister gallery, the Sackler, these two museums house premier collections of Asian arts.

The reopening took place this evening over a whole slew of events, from traditional music and dance to samplings of various Asian foods, lantern building, rice flower drawings and more. 

The picture is from a  recreation of the Loi Krathong Thai festival in which lotus floats are placed on a body of water for good luck. You make a wish and if your float stays upright down the river, your wish will come true. The monk conducted a brief ceremony before the floats were put in the meditation pool of the gallery's gardens. All very nice on a soft summer-like evening.