Hmong New Year usually occurs in December or January at the traditional end of the harvest season.
The Hmong New Year celebration has both religious and cultural beliefs; & during the festival every "wandering" soul of every family member is called back to unite with the family again and the young will honor the old or the in-laws—a ritual of asking for blessings from elders of the house and clan as well as the in-laws of other clans.
At this time of the year most Hmong dress up in their best gear, especially the women & the most noticeable activity is the Hmong ball game, a courting ritual between young males & females.
The ball game is called pov pob, with males & females lined up facing each other, tossing a ball back & forth.
Hmong New Year Luang Prabang December 2015
It is a time to put on your best show; particularly for the girls to impress the men & many of their outfits are stunning.
As luck we have it I just caught the last day of Hmong New Year in Luang Prabang. The girlfriend was in tow on her first trip overseas & was suitably impressed – over the top - with a culture & festival she really knew very little about.
Some happy snaps from Luang Prabang on 20[sup]th[/sup] December 2015
more to come.
The Hmong New Year celebration has both religious and cultural beliefs; & during the festival every "wandering" soul of every family member is called back to unite with the family again and the young will honor the old or the in-laws—a ritual of asking for blessings from elders of the house and clan as well as the in-laws of other clans.
At this time of the year most Hmong dress up in their best gear, especially the women & the most noticeable activity is the Hmong ball game, a courting ritual between young males & females.
The ball game is called pov pob, with males & females lined up facing each other, tossing a ball back & forth.
It is a time to put on your best show; particularly for the girls to impress the men & many of their outfits are stunning.
As luck we have it I just caught the last day of Hmong New Year in Luang Prabang. The girlfriend was in tow on her first trip overseas & was suitably impressed – over the top - with a culture & festival she really knew very little about.
Some happy snaps from Luang Prabang on 20[sup]th[/sup] December 2015
more to come.