Bendigo’s Karen community are years ahead of their time, welcoming the start of year 2751 at traditional New Year’s celebrations yesterday.Under the Karen calendar 2012 will mark the 2751st year, with the actual new year date falling on Christmas this year.“Every year the date of the new year changes but it’s always the biggest day for celebrating our culture,” Eh Paung, chair of the Karen Organisation of Bendigo, said.“It’s our most important celebration recognising and maintaining the Karen culture,” he said.The 400-strong local Karen community filled St Andrew’s Uniting Church yesterday morning, with guests from Tasmania, Canberra and Melbourne joining in the festivities.Traditional dances and huge platters of food helped honour the traditional beginning of the new year.“We couldn’t have a celebration without having dances, it’s a very big part of the culture,” Eh Paung said.On stage, children as young as five and adults joined in the dancing, performing traditional routines like rope weaving, which represents unity within Karen culture.Many in Bendigo’s Karen community have lived in Thai refugee camps after escaping persecution in Burma.Bendigo Karen monk Venerable Ashin Moonieinda gave a speech at the event and spoke about the difficult journey the Karen people have been through and the trials they’ve overcome.“I’ve come from a refugee camp in Thailand in 2007 and a lot of people have been through hard experiences,” he said. “Many people have gone through a lot to be here, which is why it is good to celebrate together.”Venerable Moonie said the important thing for the community was preserving their traditions and culture.“It’s very important the younger generation know the type of dances and Karen culture,” he said.“I think they do understand it and they enjoy learning about it.” Former Bendigo mayor Rod Fyffe was a guest at the celebration and said he was glad to be able to join in the celebrations. “Speaking to some of the people in the Karen community, they’ve had some really difficult backgrounds,” Cr Fyffe said.“They’ve been through a lot but they’ve integrated into Bendigo’s community so well and offered so much.“It’s a tribute to the people in the community.”