Kachin Manaw Festival
Kachin people's Fastivals are called Manaw Ceremonies. There are several types of Manaw
ceremony, and manaw dance is celebtated only in five most important occasions.
- To celebrate victory in war.
- To gather the clans in order to meet and settle accounts, make plans for the future.
- To commemorate a death of an elder.
- For a housewarming.
- To bring good fortune to new farmlands and
cultivation.
Manaw ceremonies are very expensive as everyone is invited. The feasts need months of
preparation to ensure enough food for the guests. The dishes will include
buffalo meat, pork or wild boar, beef, chicken, rice and pots and pots of rice
wine. Nowadays Manaw festival is celebrated for the New Year or a good harvest
or the unity of the different tribes and clans who will gather to feast and
dance together.
In one festival, thousands of people from all villages in the region will be
present in their tribal finery. In the manaw grounds, high totems painted in
traditional patterns in red, black and white tower over the dancers. In front of
them are hung the two instruments essential for the dance: a huge, long drum and
a brass gong. The young people meet and fell in love at the dance, but it is not
at all like what would spring to mind on hearing the word. It is a gentle and
slow group dance without touching even of the fingertips. The girls wave
handkerchiefs and the boys may be allowed to hold the other corner: he cannot
get closer than that. The Jingpaw women wear red skirts and black velvet jackets
hung with bosses of silver. Their silver jewellery is intricately made, and handed
down from one generation to another.
