Funeral Rituals: The most important steps of a proper Hmong funeral with many rituals include the playing of the Qeej (reed pipe) ritual music “qhuab ke” (showing the way chanting, a funeral music to guide the soul of the deceased back to the land of the ancestors), “qeej tu saiv” (last breath reed music), “qeej […]
Culture
Hmong Traditions – Rituals & Ceremonies: Wedding Ceremony
Wedding Ceremony: Traditional Hmong marriage involves elaborate preparation, a symbolic ceremony, and huge banquets. Depending upon the affluence of the families involved, the wedding can last anywhere from one to three days. Gift exchange between the two families, as well as elegant food preparation, always precedes the ceremony. A Hmong wedding ritual involves tying a […]
Hmong Traditions – Rituals & Ceremonies: Soul Calling
Soul-Calling: One ritual and ceremony would be the “existence of souls” also known as “soul-calling”, is often performed when a person is sick. This is sometimes complemented by the use of herbal medicine and magic formulas or “khawv koob” to extract the bad spirit from the body of the sick person or to heal a […]
Hmong Traditions – Rituals & Ceremonies
There are many rituals and ceremonies that the Hmongs practice. The clan elders used to perform the traditional ceremonies but now rarely do. Majority of the rituals and ceremonies are performed by a shaman. There are specific rituals, chanting and ceremonies that must be performed by a shaman in order to discover what the problem […]
Hmong Traditions – Shamans & Ancestor Worship
Shaman: The Hmongs believe that dreams and illnesses are signs of calling. The spirit addresses the person in a dream and when that person wakes up, he/she will have a new realization of his fate. The individual must take a journey to the heavenly palace. In the spirit world, the individual walks the path while […]
Hmong Traditions – Spirit & Supernatural World
According to Hmong traditions, a person has several souls, usually four (4) and sometimes if one of their souls becomes separated from a person it can cause them to become ill or even death. They believe that the souls of the dead, live in the supernatural world and the spirits decide how long a person […]
What Is the Hmong “Religious/Religion or Spiritual” Beliefs?
What are the Hmong “religious/religion or spiritual” beliefs is one question one might ask. Well the traditional Hmong religious practice involves the worship of ancestors, natural spirits and the supernatural world, traditionally called Animist or Ua Dab in Hmong and the Hmong people referred to it as “kev cai dab qhua”, which means “the way […]
Hmong Traditions – The Elders
The elders are very much respected in the Hmong culture so that individuals do not fear growing old and were respected because they had lived a long time and had many life experiences. Some of the many ways of showing respect to the elders are; reserving special seats for them, serving them their choice of […]
Hmong Traditions – Men & Young Boys
In a traditional Hmong household the Men and young boys would plant and harvest the crops. Use crossbows to hunt for food as well as protect their families. The fathers’ responsibility is to provide for the safety and security of his family as well as nurturing their spiritual welfare. In a traditional household the husbands […]
Hmong Traditions – Women & Young Girls
The women and young girls in a traditional Hmong household are usually the first to get up and are responsible for nurturing of the children, preparing meals, feeding animals, and clean the house. They are the work force of the house. Women obeyed their husbands in every aspect of life. Most times the daughter-in-law must […]