Hmong customs and culture
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article or section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please help improve this article or replace this tag with a more specific message. This article has been tagged since April 2006. (help, talk) |
The Hmong are a minority ethnic group of Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and southern China. The history of the Hmong people is difficult to trace, because there are no written records. Hmong history has been passed down through legends and ritual ceremonies from one generation to another.
Throughout the centuries, the Hmong have remained identifiable as Hmong, because they have maintained their own language, customs, and ways of life while adopting the ways of the country in which they live. As a result of the upheavals in Southeast Asia in the 1970's, many Hmong have left their lands, mainly Laos, and resettled in other countries as refugees. In the United States, new generations of Hmong are gradually assimilating into American society while being taught Hmong culture and history by their elders. Many fear that as the older generations pass on, the knowledge of the Hmong will die as well.
Contents |
[edit] Social organization
There are eighteen Hmong clans in the world; some of the Hmong clan names are Chang, Cheng, Chu, Fang, Hang, Her, Khang, Kong, Kue, Lo or Lor, Lee or Ly, Moua, Pha, Thao or Tho, Vue, Xiong, Vang and Yang.[1] Clan membership is obtained upon birth or through marriage. All children acquire membership into the father’s clan group at birth. Women become members of their husband's clan upon marriage.
[edit] Marriage
Traditional Hmong society is very ordered. Hmong may not marry within the clan group. A marriage partner must be found from another clan. Hmong marriages require the exchange of a bride price from the husband’s family to the wife’s family. The amount is settled by negotiation of family elders prior to the engagement and usually is paid in bars of silver or livestock. When a husband is killed or dies, his clan group will take care of the widow and children. The widow is permitted to remarry, in which case she would have two choices: she may marry one of her husband's younger brothers or she must marry outside the husband’s clan group.
Polygamy is also permitted among the Hmong, although, generally it is not considered the ideal form of marriage. It is almost entirely restricted to the more wealthy class who are able to afford the costs of the large families that result. In the usual arrangement for this kind of marriage, the man lives with all his wives under the same roof. Polygamy is increasingly rare among the Hmong that have migrated to Western nations.
Divorce is rare in traditional Hmong society. However, if a husband and wife do decide to divorce, the couple's clan groups will permit a divorce, in which case the bride price must be returned to the husband’s family. By tradition, the man will get custody of all the male children regardless of the circumstances surrounding the divorce. If it is determined the woman had committed adultery, the husband will get custody of all the children, otherwise the wife will get custody of the female children. If a divorced man dies, custody of any male children then passes to his clan group.
[edit] Traditional gender roles
There are traditional gender roles in Hmong society. A man's duty involves family leadership and the provision for the physical and spiritual welfare of his family. Husbands have authority over wives and make major decisions regarding family affairs. Hmong women are responsible for nurturing the children, preparing meals, feeding animals, and sharing in agricultural labor. Traditionally, Hmong women eat meals only after the Hmong men have eaten first, especially if there are guests present in the house.
[edit] Childbirth
Regarding childbirth, Hmong women traditionally consider it normal to work up until the day of delivery. By custom Hmong women must not engage in any physical activity for thirty days after childbirth. In addition, Hmong women must stay warm (typically lying close to a fire) and eat and drink only hot foods. Although bathing by immersion is considered taboo during this interval, women may sponge themselves with warm water to stay clean. Diet immediately after childbirth is regulated to only hot rice and chicken soup with special green herbs believed to have healing properties.
[edit] Shamanism
The shaman is the spiritual leader in the Hmong community. The shaman is not what Westerners call a doctor but is a spiritual healer who deals with problems such as depression, mental illness, and lost spirits. Lost spirits are taken to be caused by the person having lost one of his or her three souls. There are a variety of reasons why a person might lose one of his or her souls at any time during the person’s life. However, when this does occur the first choice is to have the head of the family try to recover the lost soul. If this does not succeed, then it may become necessary to recruit the help of a shaman to make the journey into the spirit world in a special ceremony. People do not choose to become shamans; they must have a calling. It is considered an honor to be a shaman.
[edit] Hmong New Year
The Hmong New Year celebration is a cultural tradition that takes place annually in select areas where large Hmong communities exist. During the New Year's celebration, Hmong dress in traditional clothing and enjoy Hmong traditional foods, dance, music, bull fights, and other forms of entertainment.[2] Hmong New Year celebrations preserve Hmong ethnic traditions and culture, and may also serve to educate those who have interest in Hmong tradition. Hmong New Year celebrations frequently occur in November and December, serving as a thanksgiving holiday for the Hmong people.
Historically, the Hmong New Year celebration was created to give thanks to ancestors and spirits as well as to welcome in a new beginning. Traditionally, the celebration lasts for ten days, but can sometimes be shortened if necessary.
During the Hmong New Year celebration, the Hmong ball tossing game (pov pob) is a common activity for adolescents. Boys and girls form two separate lines in pairs that are directly facing one another. Girls can ball toss with other girls or boys, but boys cannot ball toss with other boys. It is also taboo to ball toss with someone of the same clan. The pairs toss a cloth ball back and forth, until one member drops the ball. If a player drops or misses the ball, an ornament or item is given to the opposite player in the pair. Ornaments are recovered by singing love songs to the opposite player.[3]
