by Naw Liang (with help from SCA UK)
Mai soong kha!
The holiday season is in the air once again: crisper weather, Christmas trees, lights, music and a barrage of commercials (tv, radio and more). It is nice to see as the weather turns cold, darkness invades and takes over and life switches into hibernation.
But, no one, including the Christians, have a monopoly on 'end-of-the-year holiday cheer', and similar sights, sounds and sentiment are shared by many worldwide. There are as other and equally important events taking place - Hanukkah, Kwanza, Diwali and so on - that deserve their own airtime, their say and our consideration.
For the Shan, early December - usually around the 7th and 8th - is a time for for New Year celebrations: dancing, singing, gatherings and widespread merriment. This year, although I (and many like me) find ourselves outside predominantly Shan areas (Shan State, Northern Thailand), there are groups working hard to celebrate Shan New Year properly elsewhere, including Norway, the United Kingdom (London) and the US to name only a few.
However, for those of you still unable to attend a Shan New Year's event this year, I, with the incredible help of the Shan Cultural Association of the United Kingdom (SCA UK), will be posting Shan New Year songs and their lyrics so, at the very least, you might be able to sing along and remember, be inspired or just enjoy. (I would also strongly recommend YouTube, which has seen an explosion of Shan content recently.)
For now, here is the first musical installment:
Tai Houp Tope Gan
And, for anyone seeking further information about Shan New Year, please visit here for an account from inside the Shan State - Hsipaw to be exact - from last year (2006). And, as always, Tinya has provided us with another intersting link to Shan New Year festivities through this video link (Shan fonts are necessary to read the text). Each and every one of these (and many more) links are fascinating for those yet to experience and those nostalgic about past celebrations.In the end, whatever the link, site, video/sound file or party you find, Happy Shan New Year.
Naw Liang
