History of the Karen National New Y

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History of the Karen National New Year

The Karen National New Year celebrations are held during the pleasant month
of Pyathoe (on the Roman calendar ? Dec/Jan).  People mark the occasion by
sounding the Karen horn and drum, to maintain the tradition of the Karen New
Year, until the end of time.

Officially, the Karen New Year began in 1938.  Celebrations were first held
in 1939.  It was on the first of January 1938, (which that year corresponded
with the first of Pyathoe), that Karen national leaders demands to the
British administration for the Karen New Year were finally recognized, and
declared an official holiday.  That date was also formally acknowledged as
being the year 2677 on the Karen calendar.

In fact, the movement for a distinct Karen national day was begun by Saya
San Baw, in 1935.  As member of parliament for Tharyawati District, he
argued that a Karen National Day should be introduced.  However, the British
colonial administration suggested that a Karen New Year day would be a
better alternative.  In 1937, the Karen parliamentary representatives again
presented the case for a Karen National Da, again unsuccessfully.

The Karen National Association (KNA) realized that they instead had to work
towards the Karen New Year day.  On 2 August 1937, Saw Johnson Deepominn,
member of parliament for Taungoo District, presented the case to the lower
house.  However the Karen representatives in the chamber were split in their
support across the two sides of parliament ? U Pu's governing faction, and
the opposition lead by Dr. Ba Maw.  As the demands were coming from a member
of U Pu's side (Johnson Deepominn was an assistant minister), those
supporting Ba Maw opposed the legislation.  It failed to be ratified.

Soon after, Dr. Ba Maw's group formed a coalition, allowing it to seize
power.  The proposal seemed to be left with no chance of getting past the
lower house.   Members of the upper house, lead by Saya San Baw, Sir San C.
Po and Saya Mahn Shwe Ba, discussed the matter together.  They lobbied for,
and gained the support of, some among the new Karen ministers.  The demand
was retabled, and passed.

Ba Maw's cabinet ratified the proposal, and presented it to the Governor
General for approval.  In late 1937, the Governor General signed the
legislation.  The first day of Pyathoe, 1938 (Karen Year 2677), was declared
the first Karen New Year.

Initially, the Karen leaders had been divided over the best day for the New
Year to fall on.  Three alternatives were put forward.

1.  	The same day as the Roman calendar.
2.	The date when (the missionary) Dr. Judson first arrived in Burma.
3.	The first day of Pyathoe.

The options were discussed and the matter resolved.  The first alternative
has global significance, and it was felt that a distinctive date for the
Karen New Year would be more appropriate.  As for the second alternative,
Dr. Judson was a Christian missionary, so this date would be suitable for
Christians, but not Karens of other religions.  The first day of Pyathoe was
best.

Additionally the month of Pyathoe is special for Karen cultural solidarity,
given the following reasons:

1.	Although Karens have different names for Pyathoe (Sgaw Karens call it
Th'lay and for Pwo Karens, Htike Kauk Po) the first of each of these months
falls on exactly the same date.

2.	The rice harvest is completed in the period leading to Pyathoe, and
according to Karen traditional religious practice, there must be a
celebration for consumption of the new crop.  It is also the time to divine
the date for commencement of the next crop.  Typically, this is also when
new houses are constructed, and the completion of these must be celebrated. 

3.	The first of Pyathoe is not a distinct festival for any religious group,
so it is a day that is acceptable to all Karen people.

For these reasons, on the first of Pyathoe annually, we celebrate the Karen
New Year.

Produced by

Eastern Pwo Karen Culture and Literature Preservation Committee
For Karen New Year 2737 (1997)

Reference
Eastern Pwo Karen
by Mahn Thint Naung
(Kawkareik District 1976)
Burmese Language Text 

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