Life style : Life way schedule

It is a well known fact that agriculture is one of the most important things in the lives of the Hmong people. Hmong people spend most of their time at work, with only holidays such as the New Year, and in the event of funerals, wedding ceremonies, and the ceremonies observed by each family. They rotate the crops that they plant throughout the year, for example rice, corns and vegetables. Now, Hmong people do not just focus on agriculture but also spend part of their time on fruit gardens and on occupations like sewing clothes, and making silver ornaments.

Period  Activities in the past Present Activities December To survey and locate suitable location for planting of crops. To survey and locate suitable location for planting of crops January- February Mow the grasses in the area Mow the grasses, cut the Para rubber; make silver ornaments; sew clothes. March- April Burn the grasses; Pick the fire woods in the fields. Burn the grasses, manage the fruit garden, and make silver ornaments; sew clothes. May- June Plants corn, rice and vegetables. Harvest the mangoes, vegetables, make silver ornaments; sew clothes. July - August Mow the grasses in the paddy field. Harvest the Litchis longans, make silver ornaments. September- October Plant opium in the corn field. Cut a twigs of the fruit, make a silver embellish, sew clothes. October- November Harvest rice. Harvest rice; make silver ornaments, prepare traditional Hmong clothing for the New Year cerebrations. December- January Thresh paddy, cut the opium sap, and pick the opium seed. New Year cerebrations.

From Sujritluck Deephadung, The National Hmong Encyclopedia Book. Page 10, September 1995

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House Hmong hilltribe

Village
Hmong people usually build their houses on a hill, especially the group who plant opium as a crop. A royal grace from the king gives the Hmong the option to move to the plains, but some groups still live in their traditional regions. A Hmong village is made up of separate groups; each having 7-8 houses in a rough circle, with the group leader’s located in the center. The village usually has many groups, each one containing members of the same family. If the village has an epidemic, is subjected to violence from outsiders, or the villagers disagree with the local government administration, then they simply move. Horses are used to carry baggage and the Shaman will determine the place that they would like to establish the new village for a peaceful future.
The Hmong use green bamboo wood to make the walls, splitting and tying it together, while the roof is made from Imperata Cylindrica or Nipa palm. Houses do not have windows because they live, usually, in cold weather areas. There is a main door close to the stove, and seating for the visitor. The stove is situated on the left and used to make food for visitors, and also for boiling food for the pigs. Some houses have a mortar for pounding rice, or a millstone for grinding corn, flour, and soybeans. Further in the house, again on the left hand side, there is normally a bedroom for the members of the family.
There are 5 shrines in the house
1. The main door	2. The pillar in the center of the house
3. The wall opposite the main door This is the place for the black magic ceremony. A big, long piece of paper hangs on the wall. There is also an altar table for putting rice, ashes or corn on, along with 7 joss sticks, alcohol in one bamboo flask and water in a second, to offer the ancestor spirit to protect them from evi	4. The big stove
Hmong people do not move their village often. They live in the area for 15-20 years, before moving to another site. The Hmong have a strong lineage which makes it difficult for other tribes to integrate. The Hmong are now starting to build their houses in the same way as people in the cities.
Belief To determine where to build their house, the Hmong will cast lots. They do this by putting rice grains, equal to the number of family members plus three grains to represent their animals, in a bowl. Following this, a joss stick is burned to worship the ancestor spirit, and to ask permission to build the house. The bowl is covered, and if the rice remains in the bowl the next day, it means they can build the house on that spot. This ceremony is still practiced today.

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A 360° picture of the inside of Yee's house. The traditional Hmong style of house is fast disappearing favoring concrete housing over dirt floor and bamboo.

Click and drag mouse to move picture.
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Tradition : Hmong New Year

Hmong people cerebration the New Year festival after harvesting and also cerebration the successful of paddy and vegetables product. During the festival, they will offer food to the sky spirits, forest spirits and the spirits who take care of them and their houses throughout the year. Every Hmong village cerebrate the New Year around the same time in December. The Hmong people call the New Year ceremony is “ NorPehhJow”  or Thirty eat because according to the Hmong calendar, thirty days make a month, and the last day of the last month in the year is a day before New Year. On the first day of the New Year, the head of the family will lead a religious ceremony to pray for prosperity in the family. The New Year celebration will last for three days where all of them do not go to work and will enjoy themselves in a traditional activity. The activity includes a game played with a ball made from clothes, a top spinning session and sing Hong’s song.

1.play a cloth’s ball.        During the New Year celebrations, the Hmong people play games to enjoy themselves, and the characteristic game of the New Year celebration is a ball game known to the Thai as “Chuang”, of which the ball is made of clothes. The players are divided into 2 groups, women and men. Before playing the game, the women take a ball to the man stand opposite them by throw the ball to each other and have conversation to the person that take or catch the ball.

The objective of this game.        For fun and enjoyment during the New Year and also for young men and women to look for a potential mate. Married women cannot play this game because they believe that it goes against their customs. However, it is different for married men as they can play the game. Another purpose for this game is to practice their reflexes and self-protection skill because they will have to catch the ball before it hits their faces. They will also sing the Hmong song throughout the game to enjoy themselves. The game’s rule.        Whoever loses the game, the winner can do anything to them. The game is passed down from generations to generations since the time when lived in China. During the period then, the Hmong people celebrate each New Year with the Moon dancing ceremony, during which they will give a ball made from clothes to their lover ( The Hmong in China celebrate new year around march- April, whereas the Hmong living in Thailand celebrate it around December- January). In some villages in Thailand, the Hmong people use black cloths for the ball which is different from that used by the Hmong in China because they use colorful clothes to make the ball.

2.play a top spin.        Play a top or in Hmong “DowTorLu”. It is the Hmong people’s favorite game during the New Year celebration. This game is only played by the males. The men and boys play the game separately. The objective of the game This game is for amusement and promote interaction and bonding between families. Devise a top The top made from wood. The woods that can make the top spin have epicycle around 3-5 centimeters and cut the wood for top spin long 5 inches, and are decorated. On the top of a top is blunt and the bottom of the top is pointed.

How to play        Tie the sting around the top, the right hand carries the top while the other hand carries the lumber. Fling the hand out and pull the lumber back, the top wall down on the ground and spin. The opponent will try to hit this top down with his top. If they can not hit the opponent’s top on the ground, his top will in turn be another person’s target to be hit. The way to play a top is to concentrate and aim accurately. Nowadays, the Hmong people do not play the top as much because of the change in their lifestyle. However we can still see the top game during the Hmong New Year or the hill tribe festivals.

3.Hmong song.        Hmong people have a variety of songs which they sing in different occasions. For the example, they have songs especially for the New Year. 3.1 A leaf song        Ancestor uses leaves to produce music because they live in close proximity with Mother Nature in the forest. The banana leaf is the best choice because it produces nice melodies and can be heard over long distances, even by villagers who are working in the fields. They use the melodies produced from blowing at a banana leaf to let all their friends know where they live, and the younger generations also use this method to contact each other or talk amorously.

3.2 JingNong song or Ncaag in Hmong language.        This song is for the younger generations to communicate with each other at night and a code for them to meet. When a man wants to communicate with a woman, he will play "ncaag" in front of the women bedroom (outside) so as not to disturb the woman’s parents.  In response, the woman will sing a "ncaag" back to the man when she hears his “ncaag" and it acts as a secret code between the couple

3.3 Song in New Year ceremony.        The New Year celebration is the best opportunity for the younger generations to meet each other. In the New Year the younger will play top spin, a clothes ball and sing songs to entertain themselves. The meaning of the songs is usually about love and some couples use this time to propose to the woman they love.

4.Hmong dancing.        In New Years celebration, Hmong people have many kinds of dances like winnowing basket dance, picking tea leaves dance, and Chinese opera dance. Hmong flute dance.        Usually this dance is performed during important ceremonies. This dance show cases the way of life of the Hmong and the Hmong instruments. Hmongs always carries a flute around with him. Men often use this instrument to show affection to the woman that he loves.    Chinese dance. Usually, Hmong rise the performed during the New Year celebration and important        ceremonies. This dance displays the gracefulness of the Hmong people

5.Winnowing basket dancing.        Usually, Hmong rise the performed during the New Year celebrations and the important ceremonies. This dance highlights the wares used by the Hmong people. In the past Hmong people use a winnow basket to winnow rice or an equipment to make the Hmong sweet, thus the dance with the winnowing basket.

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Tradition : The Eat New Rice Ceremony

The Eat New Rice ceremony of the Hmong people continues to be practiced today. Hmong people believe that the ancestor spirit must be offered food because in the old year the ancestor protected them from evil. Rice is planted for the offering and the celebration occurs annually around October. A small sickle is used to cut the rice, which is then threshed and finally pounded.

In the past, villagers favored a large mortar to pound, and gave boiled rice to the ancestor. Before offering the rice, the villager leaves a male chicken in front of the ghost gate of the house, and chants to tell the spirit to take the food. After the ceremony, family members can eat the food that is given to the ancestor spirit. The Eat New Rice ceremony is still passed from generation to generation.

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Dresses

Style of dress for the white Hmong or Dao Hmong
Males	Females
Shirts are made from soft felt, with long sleeves running down to the wrists. The body of the shirt runs down and covers the waist. In front there are two tabs of fabric that run down the full length of the shirt. On the back, the shirt is likely to have a beautiful embroidered design. A modern trend is to include a zipper along the edges of the shirt and down the front for ease and convenience. The pants would be of the Chinese "guay" style, tight at the waist and then tapering out. There may be a small pattern on them. A piece of red fabric is wrapped around the waist and over the pants. Another belt made of silver may also be worn over this for added flair.	Shirts are made from soft felt. The colors of choice have been dark blue or black, but these days more variations in color are beginning to be seen. The sleeves are long and have a beautiful design embroidered on them. In front there are two tabs of fabric that run down the full length of the shirt. A design is embroidered on them. White Hmong women (Hmong deur) would wrap a solid-white pleated skirt around them, leaving a split where the fabric meets at the front. This would be covered over by a squared section of beautifully embroidered fabric. A piece of red fabric would be wrapped around the waist, leaving one end hanging loose down the back to act as a tail-of-sorts. At present, the trend is to only wear white-colored dresses on very special occasions. One reason for this, of course, white's nasty tendency to show dirt and stains quite easily. The new hit is Chinese-style pants and a shirt rather than a dress. A long squared piece of fabric would be hung from the waist, down the front and back. Usually a beautiful piece of embroidery is added along with a red strip of fabric wrapped around the waist. As for the woman's head wrap, white Hmong like to wind their hair into a bun toward the front of the head and wrap it with an embroidered black cloth around the head. Depending on the importance of the occasion, other ornamentation may be added, such as rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. These items would be made of silver and decorated with silver coins of varying sizes, both triangular and circular in shape. Even the shoulder bags women carry would be decked out in luxurious silver bobbles. The shoulder straps would be placed over both shoulders with the bag hanging off the back.
Historical dress for a Hmong male	Historical dress for a Hmong female
Current traditional dress for a Hmong male	Current traditional dress for a Hmong female
Style of dress for the black Hmong
Males	Females
The shirt should hang down to the waist and the sleeves to the wrists. The shirt divides into two pieces with the top layer overlapping the bottom one over the left breast. The thread and fabric is dyed using very strong eye-catching colors and an intricate pattern in embroidered on. The pants must match the shirt in color. They are quite baggy down to the ankles where they are tapered in. The crotch of the pants droops down below the knees. A red sash is wrapped around the waist to hold the pants in place. A beautiful pattern will be embroidered on the front of both borders of the cloth. A belt is often added on over the red sash for extra eye appeal.	At present, the green and black Hmong continue to introduce an ever-increasing array of beautiful colors into the spectrum for Hmong dress. The shirt must have long sleeves and be tucked into a dress. The hem of the shirt will either be embroidered or have a piece of colored fabric sewn on. The dress is dyed and then decorated with beautiful embroidery, with pleats running all the way around it. The skirt has a part line running down the front, which is covered by hanging a large, embroidered piece of rectangular fabric down the front. Next, a red sash is wrapped around the waist with one end tucked in and the other hanging down the back like a tail. A dress of this nature can be worn any time. In the past, women used to wrap their ankles with black pieces of fabric intricately stacked and staggered over one another. Nowadays, they have fallen out of style. Black Hmong like to wear their hair over the crown of their heads. Often wigs made of horse's tail are used to add more body to the bun. The bun is then covered with a black netted cloth, decorated with beautiful beads. The jewelry worn is just like that of the white Hmong.
Historical dress for a black Hmong male	Historical dress for a black Hmong female
Current traditional dress for a black Hmong male	Current traditional dress for a black Hmong female
Style of dress for the Gua Maba Hmong
Male	Female
The shirt should hang down to the waist and the sleeves to the wrists. The shirt divides into two pieces with the top layer overlapping the bottom one over the left breast. The thread and fabric is dyed using very strong eye-catching colors and an intricate pattern in embroidered on. The pants must match the shirt in color. They are quite baggy down to the ankles where they are tapered in. The crotch of the pants droops down below the knees. A red sash is wrapped around the waist to hold the pants in place. A beautiful pattern will be embroidered on the front of both borders of the cloth. A belt or cord is often added on over the red sash for extra eye appeal.	At present, the green and black Hmong continue to introduce an ever-increasing array of beautiful colors into the spectrum for Hmong dress. The shirt must have long sleeves and be tucked into a dress. The hem of the shirt will either be embroidered or have a piece of colored fabric sewn on. The dress is dyed and then decorated with beautiful embroidery, with pleats running all the way around it. The skirt has a part line running down the front, which is covered by hanging a large, embroidered piece of rectangular fabric down the front. Next, a red sash is wrapped around the waist with one end tucked in and the other hanging down the back like a tail. A dress of this nature can be worn any time. In the past, women used to wrap their ankles with black pieces of fabric intricately stacked and staggered over one another. Nowadays, they have fallen out of style. Black Hmong like to wear their hair over the crown of their heads. Often wigs made of horse's tail are used to add more body to the bun. The bun is then covered with a black netted cloth, decorated with beautiful beads. The jewelry worn is just like that of the white Hmong.

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Art : Hmong song

Art : Musical instruments

Every tribe has the music in its heart but differs in the detail of singing the song. Hmong musical instruments are unique, but much has been lost from the Hmong way of living and the new generation now. Hmong musical instruments fall into two categories.       1. Blowing instruments such as Jing-Nong, Jang, Flute and reed mouth organ or Keng in Hmong language.       2. Percussion instruments such as Drum or Jua.

Blowing instruments.       1.1. Jing-Nong (Ncas)       This musical instrument is beside the Hmong teenagers. This instrument is passed down from the ancestor generation to generation and Hmong believe that Jang has haunted. They blow Jing-Nong to express their feelings. Jing-Nong is the Hmong musical instrument that mediates between lovers.       They blow Jing-Nong to express admiration for each other or they use this instrument as a tool to explain how they feel to the woman they love. They can learn to play Jing-Nong by themselves.

Therefore, they use Jing-Nong as an instrument of courtship. The man will go to the woman’s house and call the woman; if the woman does not reply, the man will go back, or if the woman replies that it is late at night, the man will go back to his home and find the solution and one is to blow Jing-Nong to express his feelings.        However, the Jing-Nong has been lost from the lifestyles of modern Hmong teenagers.

1.2 The reed mouth organ or Qeej in Hmong language.        The reed mouth organ or Qeej is made from bamboo and hardwood. It is the one of the Hmong’s oldest musical instruments. The Hmong have a story to explain this instrument’s origins: there once was a Hmong family with seven siblings. One day, the father died. The seven siblings wished to have a funeral for their father but did not know how to go about it. They asked for the advice from the god “Zee-Yee”. The Hmong believe that this god is very important for religious ceremonies. The god Zee-Yee gave the suggestion that one go find a hide to make a drum and another six go find some bamboo different in size and length. One was to play music by tapping the drum while the other six people blew on the bamboo and walked around the drummer, singing songs.

When the god Zee-Yee told them about this, the seven siblings went back home and held a funeral for their father in the manner that the god advised. Afterwards, one of siblings died and there were not enough people left to blow the bamboo in accordance with the ceremony. So the siblings went to ask the god Zee-Yee for guidance again. This time the god told them to combine all the bamboo into the one instrument and use only one person to play, leaving the others to make food offerings to the gods or prepare foods.

This funeral ceremony continues to be practiced in the present day and has become the tradition for the funerals of the Hmong people. The reed organ comprises six pieces of bamboo. Each piece is different.       The instrument makes a pleasant sound when played. Each of the six pieces of bamboo that add up to be a reed organ has its own name. Hmong people use the reed organ as the main instrument in their funeral ceremony to guide the spirit going to the next world or to the ancestor land. Therefore, they cannot play or practice the reed organ in their house.

The role of the reed organ in a funeral ceremony. Ntiv is an overture. Pluas cim qeej cim nruag Tap the drum together with the reed organ song. Lwm qab nruag The person who plays the reed organ goes under the drum crossbeam. Xub tuag Introduce the reed organ song. Quas xub tuag End up the introduce song. Zaj qeej tuag Start the melody. Quas zaj qeej tuag Sing a song to the next world. Qeej rov qaab or raib leev. The step that takes you back from the next world.  Zais roj zais neev This step covers up the way back from the next world, because the Hmong believe that the spirit will follow them back from the next world if they do not cover up the way.  Xaus qeej The end of the song.

The categories of songs in the funeral ceremony.  Qeej tu sav The first song sung for the dead body. Qeej qhuab ke The song to guide the spirit to the next world or the ancestor land. Qeej nce neeg The song then moves the dead body to the litter. Qeej hlawv ntawv The song when they burn money so that the spirit can use it in the next world. Qeej sawv kev This song for moving the dead body from the house.       Additionally, the Hmong play the reed organ for entertainment, especially during the New Year festival. They would play as follows for the New Year festival: Ntiv, the overture. Xub, introduce. Nuj nrws, the story Quas nuj nrws, repeat the story Pluas, summarize Xaus, the end.

1.3 Play the flute.       The flute is the musical instrument of Hmong people that they use to call their soul mate, as well as for entertainment. The Hmong flute is made from bamboo and PVC plastic. They play the flute to express their feelings and will play it on important occasions such as New Year.

2. Percussion instruments.       Drum or Jua in Hmong language.       The drum can have either one or two faces. They use animal hide to make the drum’s face. Holes are made in the hide and string is threaded and tightened with a peg so that the hide is tense. When they tap the finished drum, it should reverberate and produce an appealing sound. They use this drum during the funeral ceremony, to allow the spirit to enter the next world.

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