The 2107th Shan New Year celebration in London
by Naw Liang
Mai soong kha!
Welcome back to All about Shan Studies. Although it may have appeared that we have disappears - taken a hiatus perhaps? - it's just been the usual rigmarole about this, that and everything. We are still here, always in spirit at the very least.
Once again, it is that time of year. Not just for Christmas-related and other festive elements, but of an equally important event: Shan New Year or Pii Mai Tai. And, once again, my alma mater, The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), is set to be the host of this great, important and fun event, the spot for Shan enthusiasts and others in and around London in early December to come together and celebrate. You won't want to miss it, and we hope to see you there.
The Shan are the predominate ethnic (minority) group throughout the Burma/Myanmar's eastern states (Shan State, Kachin State, Kayah State) and numerous into Yunnan Province (PR China where they are known as the Dai), Northern Thailand (where they are called the Tai Yai) and Assam State (India where they have several names, including Tai-Ahom, Tai-Khamti and Tai-Phake, though this last moniker is unknown to me.
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Held in London (and the UK) since 2005 and from 2006 at SOAS, this year's Shan/Tai New Year celebrations have grown in popularity ever since. Promoting and celebrating Shan culture, the festivities are led by the The Shan Cultural Association in the United Kingdom (SCA-UK) who will once again put on a comprehensive and enticing programme of Shan/Tai culture to ring in 2017. We fully recommend the dances and music - events that should not be missed.
Everyone is cordially invited to come and enjoy the festivities of the 2107th Shan/Tai New Year.
Please visit the Shan Cultural Association in the United Kingdom (www.sca-uk.org.uk) for details.
Until then, jom lii kha,
Naw Liang
