About 2,000 ethnic Shan living in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, began a two-day New Year celebration at the city’s Wat Kau Tao on Thursday.
Scenes from the Shan New Year festivities in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand.Nang Shang Oo, one of the organizers of the celebrations at the Shan temple, said the festival was an occasion to demonstrate Shan unity.
Chiang Mai has a large Shan community, most of whom work on construction sites and in domestic service.
One festivalgoer, 25-year-old Mon Zan, said the New Year celebrations gave him the chance to wear his traditional Shan costume. “I am very proud of it,” he said.
The festivities, which start on the first day of the first lunar month of the Shan calendar, include traditional dances and songs, and fireworks displays.
An increasing number of young people celebrate Shan New Year. Many work in Chiang Mai after fleeing from Burma.
Mon Zan came to Thailand when he was 10. “I feel Thailand is my home now, although I miss my real homeland,” he said. “I will go back there one day when I’ve saved a lot of money.”
An important part of the Shan festival is the merit-making donation of traditional food to the Wat Kau Tao monks, who bless the participants, wishing them luck in the year ahead. Typical offerings are rice with fish and root vegetables, wrapped in banana leaves.
The new moon festivities are one of two New Year festivals celebrated by the Shan. The other is the traditional water festival in April, which has a more religious significance.
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