THE 28th Lahu ethnic group’s traditional New Year festival was held on 2 January at Yaypusan Sanpya Village, Tachilek Township, Shan State (East), according to U William Moe, a member of the festival organizing committee.
At the Lahu ethnic group’s traditional New Year festival, Lahu youth welcomed the new year by washing elders’ hands and performing traditional dances, modern song-and-dance performances, and gourd flute dances.
“The New Year festival is celebrated every year to respect and honour Lahu ethnic cultural heritage, such as religion, literature, clothing, and traditions, rediscovering hidden traditional culture, and enabling Lahu communities scattered throughout the country to gather once a year. This collective New Year festival is the most important and largest festival of the Lahu ethnic groups during the year,” said U William Moe.
The Lahu ethnic group, originally consisting of five subgroups, has evolved into more than 20 tribes, with the gourd flute as its cultural symbol and the dance known as Kakhae — performed around a pine tree — as its most famous dance. — ASH/ TH
