Hmong New Year – Hmong Noj Peb Caug – Nkaum Tawv Qaib Lwm Sub
Hmong New Year Festivities – Hmoob Noj Peb Caug – Nkaum Tawv Qaib Lwm Sub

Hmong New Year[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] is a festival[10]celebrated once a year after the harvest[11][12][13][14]. Hmong people call it Hmong Noj Peb Caug in the Hmong language for this event. It is originated in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279)[15], so this is about 1,000 years of history. The Hmong celebrate it between September and November depending on where they live in the Southeast Asia. In the United States, Hmong New Year[16][17] is celebrated in the month of November and December.

Timing

Hmong New Year's event is a sort of annual Hmong custom and cultural traditions [18]. For the Miao, Meo, Hmong people who live in the South East Asian countries, they celebrate Hmong New Year according to the lunisolar calendar among the Hmong, not the Chinese one. Hmong lunar calendar refers to the moon when it changes its shape by itself descending and waxing. The Hmong call the moon descending, which is when the full moon disappears gradually over time. As for the crescent moon, it is when its shape increases from day to day until what is called a full moon.

Thus, Hmong New Year Festival, Noj Tsiab Peb Caug, ends the activities of the year as well as the works and those related to the life of the Hmong. This is why the Hmong New Year is celebrated when the harvest is over and takes place on the 30th of the last day of the month[19][20]. Ultimately, Hmong New Year begins the first day of the last moon of the year, and ends the last day when the moon is disappeared in the sky. This has nothing to do with western world calendar. This event is the Hmong, H'mong, Miao, Meo people cultural festival for centuries [21] [22].[citation needed].

In Laos, the Lao government refer to it as "Kin Tiang"[23], instead of New Year. Hmong people still honor their ancestors and crops when the harvest is over on October – November like their grandparents in Laos for the sake of nostalgia. In ancient Miao, it was to feast for ancestral spirit, respect to nature (land, water, wind) for crops, and show accomplishments. In essence, the harvest season determined the new year. So depending on which region Hmong, Miao people lived, the new year is different for different Miao groups. They don't celebrate new year together as a people like Chinese but celebrate it together as a household for ancestral spirit and as a local community for festival while other Hmong, miao groups wait until their harvest season.

Due to problems of illiteracy in the beginning, Hmong, Miao people did not have written language neither written records[24] thus they still call it Noj Tsiab Peb Caug in Miao, Hmong language in South East Asian countries. Only the new Hmong generations of today call it New Year (Xyoo Tshiab), instead of Noj Tsiab Peb Caug. In the western countries where today's Hmong new generations live, to allow Hmong families to be able to celebrate together their custom and traditional culture which is Noj Tsiab Peb Caug (New Year today), they choose Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays to celebrate it. This is why some celebrations are now changed in November and the others in December.

In China, some Miao called it Miao festivals and others called it Miao New Year[25][26], or Lusheng festival[27][28]. Thus, some Hmong people celebrate Hmong New Year[29][30] in the third month of winter[31]. In some provinces like Xijiang, Guizhou, and in Leishan County and Taijiang County also Kaili City they celebrate the Miao New Year at different times of the year[32]. It is, generally, from the 9th month to the 11 month of the Chinese Lunar calendar that Miao, Hmong people in China celebrate the new year. Often, it lasted between five and fifteen days. In the Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Burma, Hmong people celebrate it between October and November. It depends on their crops.

Due to different calendars and time zones including festive holidays, Hmong people living in Western countries now celebrate the Hmong New Year[33][34][35] at the same time as Westerners celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas with family and their friends.

Panoramic view, c. Hmong New Year Festivity Playground
Young Hmong people wearing colorful clothes at the Hmong New Year
The traditional Hmong opening party before New Year's Eve – Hmoob muab Qaib Lwm Sub Rau Hmoob Noj Peb Caug

Hmong New Year Celebration[36]

Before starting the New Year festivities, the Hmong customs and traditions come first[37]. This is the Hmong customs and culture since ancestors. Often, celebration begins on the 30th of the Miao lunar calendar and the last day when the moon is descending. All the members of the family would need to join all the others in a public place. This ritual celebration has to be before Sun set. The gathering is a kind of pilgrimage to bring everyone together, including the children, to show up there before the chief of village or shaman will pray to God to bless everyone. The ritual ceremony consists of wishing good luck to all. The purpose is to pray to God if he could remove bad things like misfortunes, evil spirits, demons, diseases, death, poverty, drought, bad luck as much as possible so that everyone will not see them again forever. Thus, when the Hmong tribe's ritual was over, people fired gunshots into the sky to signal to other nearby villages that the New Year had begun. These gunshots were the Hmong new year's fireworks.

During the first three days, all households have certain restrictions to follow. Except for children and young people, parents must not go out and do what is forbidden, so going out to throw balls and flirting with others is a forbidden thing. Noj Peb Caug or the New Year celebration, in most Hmong villages and towns, is more open to young people between the ages of 13 and 30, not others. Due to the high volumes of year-round work on farms, the harvest festival that the Hmong call Noj Peb Caug (Hmong New Year) is the only occasion of the year that allows young people to get out and have fun. opportunity to meet a wife. or a husband of their choice. Going back to the ancient times of the Golden Age, during the Hmong Noj Peb Caug – Xyoo Tshiab festival, the Hmong New Year is the best time to get married. So some of the older generation Hmong did.

In the Southeast Asian countries, New Year's celebration[38] lasts generally 5 to 10 days. It depends on the Hmong population and the cities where they are living. For a small village, it takes 3-5 days, no more. At the festivity, everyone usually dress nice and clean, including children. Thus, people dress up in all colors. Colorful fabrics mean a lot of things in Hmong history and culture. This is very important to Hmong people because the New Year only comes once a year. Wearing news and colorful clothes[39] is a hallmark sign of the Hmong New Year.

Etymology

Noj Tsiab Peb Caug or Noj Peb Caug means celebration on the 30th, alternatively it means New Year's Eve. Noj means "eating" and Peb Caug means "30 (thirty)". As for Xyoo Tshiab means New Year in English.

References

  1. ^ "St. Paul Hmong New Year celebration preserves Hmong culture for the future". MPR News.
  2. ^ "Hmong New Year traditions in the U.S. recall ancestral spirits while teaching new generations". PBS NEWSHOUR.
  3. ^ "St. Paul: Annual Hmong New Year celebration begins today". TwinCities PIONEER PRESS.
  4. ^ Hao Huang. "The Hmong Ntoo Xeeb New Year Ceremony_Hmong New Year (Hmoob Noj Peb Caug)_see pages #3,4,5, /25" (PDF).
  5. ^ "Hmong New Year".
  6. ^ "Hmong New Year Festival".
  7. ^ Hmong New Year_on page#160_Hmong Culture and Traditions in the West. Christopher Thao Vang · 2016. 16 May 2016. ISBN 978-1-4766-2262-0.
  8. ^ "Happy H'Mong New Year".
  9. ^ "Le nouvel Hmong (Hmong New Year)" (in French). 19 November 2017.
  10. ^ "Noj Peb Caug_Hmong New Year" (PDF).
  11. ^ By Xing LI (2006). Festivals of China's Ethnic Minorities_CHAPTER 2 FESTIVAL OF PRODUCTION_starting page #026 to #031. 中信出版社. ISBN 9787508509990.
  12. ^ By Xing LI (2006). Festivals of China's Ethnic Minorities_CHAPTER 4 Festivals celebrating the Harvest_starting page #056 to #060. 中信出版社. ISBN 9787508509990.
  13. ^ "Miao New Year".
  14. ^ Kwok-Bun (11 June 2014). Chinese Entertainment_see page #180,181,182, /193\language=en-US. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-97799-5.
  15. ^ By Wei Wang, Lisong Jiang (20 July 2021). Ethnic Identity of the Kam People in Contemporary China: Government versus Local Perspectives_see page indicating POWER-MARKET-CULTURE_ under the enthusiasm for "original ecological culture". Routledge. ISBN 978-1-00-041293-2.
  16. ^ "In the US, Hmong 'new year' recalls ancestral spirits while teaching traditions to new generations". TwinCities PIONEER PRESS.
  17. ^ "Hmong New Year celebration held at Sacramento's Grant High School". CBS NEWS.
  18. ^ By Wei Wang, Lisong Jiang (20 July 2021). Ethnic Identity of the Kam People in Contemporary China: Government versus Local Perspectives_see page indicating POWER-MARKET-CULTURE_ under the enthusiasm for "original ecological culture". Routledge. ISBN 978-1-00-041293-2.
  19. ^ "Hmong New Year Festival".
  20. ^ Hmong New Year_on page#161_Hmong Culture and Traditions in the West. Christopher Thao Vang .2016. 16 May 2016. ISBN 978-1-4766-2262-0.
  21. ^ By Li Shi. History of Customs in the Qing Dynasty_Miao people. DeepLogic.
  22. ^ Hmong New Year_on page#161_Hmong Culture and Traditions in the West. Christopher Thao Vang .2016. 16 May 2016. ISBN 978-1-4766-2262-0.
  23. ^ "Laos and ethnic minority cultures: promoting heritage". Goudineau, Yves_page #161 of 263_line #7 stating:The Hmong and Kmhmu’ living on Kassak territory have official permission to organize their traditional harvest festivals, known respectively as kin Tiang and pot pi.179 Project for the Regeneration of Kassak Traditions34_Laos_GB_INT 26/06/03 10:25 Page 179.
  24. ^ "The Montagnards and the State in Northern Vietnam from 1802 to 1975:A historical Overview_page #335_paragraph that starts by Many montagnards in the North do not have a written language." (PDF). Jean Michaud, University of Hull.
  25. ^ "Miao people celebrate New Year in Anshun City, SW China". CHINA DAILY.com.
  26. ^ "Minority Miao_Coutumes_Fetes et Festifals" (in French). China HIGHLIGHTS.
  27. ^ "Miao Minority Lusheng Festival". China HIGHLIGHTS.
  28. ^ "Fête du lusheng de la minorité Miao" (in French). China HIGHLIGHTS.
  29. ^ By Xing Li (2006). Festivals of China's Ethnic Minorities_CHAPTER 2_page #018_paragraph starting by "Dancing Flower" or "Dancing on the Flower Field" to the page #020. 中信出版社. ISBN 9787508509990.
  30. ^ The Festivals of Miao Ethnic Minority. 8 February 2018.
  31. ^ Jean MOTTIN. "The History of The Hmong (Meo)_see pages#46/80_Hmong New Year in China" (PDF).
  32. ^ "Miao New Year_celebration in different areas in China". Google Event Search.
  33. ^ "Hmong New Year celebration".
  34. ^ "Hmong New Year Festival in Laos".
  35. ^ "Hmong New Year". 11 November 2020.
  36. ^ Hmong New Year_on page#160,161,162_Hmong Culture and Traditions in the West. Christopher Thao Vang .2016. 16 May 2016. ISBN 978-1-4766-2262-0.
  37. ^ Festivals of China's Ethnic Minorities_on page #019 and 020_Miao (Hmong) traditional culture and custom. By Xing Li. 2006. ISBN 9787508509990.
  38. ^ "This Is The New Year's Celebration You've Probably Never Heard of". seasia.
  39. ^ "Hmong, Miao traditional clothing". Google Image Search.
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