Life style : Taboo

Hmong people have many taboos and they follow them strictly. Some of these taboos are with regards to their family groups and lineage. Nowadays, the Hmong people live together as a big Hmong village and practice their own set of taboos. Some of the practices of the taboos are as follows:

1. Hmong people of the same family name cannot marry each other. If they have to marry, the couple must break off their ties with each other.
     
2. Hmong women who are not married can have the opportunity to make friend with other men until they are married, after that the women cannot go anywhere with other men. Hmong woman takes over the husband’s mother in preparing meals for the entire family and also for their domestic animals. She works hard that opposite to the Hmong men. Hmong men are allowed to have many wives by depending on the first wife.
   
   
3. The couples can not display affection in front of the woman’s parents, or in public.
   
   
4. A man who is not from the Hmong tribe cannot stay with the Hmong woman in the place out of side.
   
   
5. Hmong man cannot marry their daughter in-law.
   
   
6. The guests cannot have sexual relationship in the Hmong house.
   
   
7. Can not hit the drum for no reason as it means that there is funeral in the village. Drum is the one of musical instrument used in a Hmong’s funeral.
   
   
8. Cannot fire a gun because it symbolizes a death in the village, thus Hmong people disallow shooting in the village.
   
   
9. Cannot use money on the New Year’s Day because there is a religious ceremony in the village. This is because the Hmong believe that they will be lack of work and money, and be poorer in the next year.
   
   
10. Do not eat food forbidden by each family group. For example the Hmong with the family name Lee cannot eat spleen; the Yang Hmong cannot eat animals’ heart; SeaWang Hmong cannot eat sour fruits from the forest or nature in their house. Also, Hmong children are not allowed to eat chicken feet, stomach, and intestines because the Hmong believe that the children who eat chicken feet will interfere with other people’s business and cannot succeed in their lives. Similarly, children who eat the chicken stomach or intestine will become foolish because the chicken stomach and intestine will wrap around the brain and disrupt the thinking of the children.

http://hmong.hilltribe.org