Karen New Year

balancing a bamboo tray while walking game

volleyball competition

This year was a special year as the Karen New Year lined up with the regular New Year. I don’t know exactly what that means, but I guess there’s switches for some reason… No one quite ever explained to me why, this is just what I’ve heard. Usually they celebrate the Karen New Year somewhere else, but this year they changed to celebrate at our school. So, for the last two days they’ve been playing volleyball and dagraw to get the bracket down to the final games of the competition. Then, this morning they had the semi’s and finals, and also different Karen Traditional games. One where they put the flat bamboo trays on their heads and had to walk, tug of war, sack races, and a game similar to the game Crazy Bones we played as children, only they lined up 30 rocks on each side then had 30 rocks that each team threw at the other teams line to try to knock them down. Whichever team knocked over all of the other team’s first was the winner. Some of the men got really intense about playing, and so it was funny to see full grown men getting nervous about throwing rocks.

the 3 year old who has claimed me as his girlfriend since the
first day I got here.

one of the bible college boys playing the rock game.

I did some work around the house this morning, then headed over to the school to see what was going on. I talked to several people, watched several of the games, and took pictures. As I was watching the stone throwing game, three of the students I had taught at the bible institute came and talked to me. They asked if I was lonely because every event they had seen me at over the Christmas season I went to along. I explained that I usually have people with me and once I get to the events I have people to talk to, so I’m not very lonely. They then took it upon themselves to be my friend for the day, so we talked while they waited for their turn to play the rock game, then as they played they checked every few throws to make sure I was still watching. After they finished playing they told me there was lunch provided at the lunch hall, so we went over and they made sure that I got something to eat, ate with me, then washed my dishes and gave me a glass of water. After we finished eating, they took me to where some of the other students were watching/playing the traditional games. The three of them challenged me and three of the girls to play tug of war, 3 against 4. I can say that the girls easily beat them. So, they made us play again, we still won, so they switched sides, added another guy, and we added another girl. We still won. Poor boys…eh I don’t feel too bad, it was their idea. Somehow they then got me to do a sack race against two of the girls, but I came in last. I don’t think I tried very hard.

Setting up the rocks

my tug of war skills in action

After the games were over, one of them started talking to me in Thai about the Karen people. He explained that the Karen people are like Israel in which they have been given chance after chance to better themselves and yet they didn’t listen to God and disobeyed, so here they are today a nationless people with no country of their own to call home. He also explained that the Karen language is in danger of becoming extinct as more and more they are integrating into other cultures. Many have been deported to other countries as refugees, and are integrating into those societies and losing their Karen language and traditions along the way. I have seen this myself as many teachers at my school are Karen, and can speak Karen, however, there are quite a few whose children can’t understand or speak any Karen. Here you have Karen people who are educated, who know both languages, who work here in Thailand and they are neglecting to teach their children the Karen language, culture, and traditions. He told me that he is writing a script for a movie that they will produce at the bible institute that is about two Karen families, one who teaches their children the Karen culture and language, and one family who neglects to teach their child anything about being Karen. The movie is supposed to show the Karen people the importance of teaching their children about being Karen so that the language and culture aren’t lost forever. As I was talking to him I realized the importance of this. Being from America, I am a product of the melting pot. I can’t even tell you all of the different ethnicities that are mixed inside of me, I can guess at a few, but because I haven’t talked to my family about it in a few years I have forgotten. As a result my family hasn’t kept any traditions from out different heritages and has just adopted those that are “American.” It made me sad because I realized what I have lost and what I’m missing out on by losing those things. What will I teach my children about where we came from if I don’t even know? These people are fortunate that they have kept their traditions and culture for so long, and after talking to the boy today I just hope and pray that they will realize how fortunate they are to have such strong traditions, culture, and a language and that they won’t give that up to “fit in” to another culture. Even now, I know that most of my Karen students can speak Karen, but very few if any can read and write it. Sometimes I have found myself being sad when I try to talk to a small child just to realize that they only have been spoken to in Karen so don’t understand Thai, however, now I know that I need to appreciate what the parents are giving that child as they teach them their native language first before Thai or anything else. I also have found myself frustrated at church when communion services and prayers are in Karen, however, now I realize that they need to keep that as part of their culture, so can appreciate that when they do these things and I don’t understand it, I need to rejoice because they are keeping their language, and not be frustrated because they don’t use my second language. I’m a visitor here, and part of that job is to teach them to appreciate their native language and culture, I was able to do that by participating in the Karen New Year and will try to continue to do that by learning about the Karen people, their culture, and some of their language.

just part of the balloons we blew up

We were then called to go to a building to help blow up balloons, I took a handful and blew them up, then did a second handful before leaving to come home and take a nap. They told me there would be things going on from seven until midnight to bring in the New Year, so I wanted to be rested up so I could stay up that late and enjoy the festivities. I rested, and ate supper, then headed back over around six.

singing in Karen

As I was walking over to the school, I was stopped by a group of students who had one boy who they wanted me to talk to. It turned out he was one of the students from a program that has Burmese college age students come over, and study for two years. They learn English, computer skills, and teaching skills, then when they are finished, they are required to go back to their community to serve for at least two years. I talked to the boy for about an hour, about the program, where he came from, what he was planning on doing, my family, what I was doing, etc… He also told me every place he had seen me since I got here which was a little weird, but not creepy as it was his way of showing me he had seen me around and knew about me. It was really wonderful to have a conversation fully in English, we couldn’t use Thai as he doesn’t speak Thai, and I don’t know Karen or Burmese, his other two languages. A little after seven he had to go and get ready for the rope dance, and so I went and found the bible college boys as they had told me they would save a place for me.

the rope dance

The evening started off with having all of the planners go up on stage to be recognized, then they had different groups come up throughout the night to do dances, sing a song, give a story about the Karen people, etc. A group from the home that has the two year Burmese program as well as a children’s home did an amazing rope dance which I had never seen before but was very impressed by it. Some of my students were participating, and I was very proud of them. It took a lot of concentration and knowing where to go and what to do so that the ropes got braided and then unbraided. Throughout the dance they would stop and form a letter, eventually spelling out Karen Unity.

the rope dance

Other events they had were two greased bamboo poles for people to try to climb and at the top was a Karen shirt and some money. One was for children and one was for adults. The first child who went made it up on his second try, but he cheated and used a rag to wipe off the vegetable oil. The first man who went also won, and he cheated as well, using two things of fabric to tie one around the pole making a loop for his foot, then untying the other and making a new loop higher up until he got to the top. They also had some type of Karen wrestling where they were in a pile of straw, and had to hold onto each other’s waist band and try to get the other one down, and then on top of them like our wrestling.

the greased bamboo poles with the prize
of a Karen shirt and Baht on the top

The activities went on until midnight, and then everyone went home. They then gathered at six in the morning for a parade to walk to the school, followed by a service where they were told/reminded of the Karen history and sermons were given by both the Christians and Buddhists as this holiday is seen as a day for all Karen’s to be united despite religion.

I really enjoyed the opportunity to participate in the Karen New Year celebration and to learn more about their culture and people group over the last several days. It has helped me to get a better understanding of the people and students I’m working with and how I can help them as I live here together with them.

 

One of the many Karen dancing groups