Hmong New Year

This weekend was the big Hmong New Year celebration in Laos. Phonsavan, the capital of Xieng Khuang, has a large Hmong population, and hosts one of the larger New Year's celebrations, along with a few towns closer to Vientiane where Hmong were resettled after the war; the aptly named Kilometer 52, a town so-named because it is 52 KM north of Vientiane on the main highway, and Tha Din Daeng, aptly named because it is on a red dirt road (Tha Din Daeng means red dirt road).

With my bit of free time in my 26 hours in Xieng Khuang, I headed over to the celebration and had a look around. Lots of women in traditional Hmong dress. All the young, single ladies dressed in their finery looking for a beau.



The single men and women get together and play a ball toss game. Traditionally, they are supposed to sing while playing. If someone drops the ball, that person must give the other person a small token or ornament as a penalty. But then, they can sing a love song to get the token back. Girls can toss the ball to other girls or boys, but boys must never toss the ball to another boy. It is a traditional courting ritual. If two people decide they like each other, the boy can basically kidnap the girl and take her away.