Welcoming a Baby: Hu Plig Khi Tes
Posted on 13 September 2011
There’s all type of Hu Plig Khi Tes Ceremonies (Calling in the souls and tying a white string) for the Hmong culture. As I’ve mentioned before in a few of my other posts, we hu plig for welcoming a bride, when someone is sick, for the new year, a congratulation party, changing names of an elder and many many more. Not all Hu Plig ceremonies will contribute to a khi tes (tying a white strings on the hand) but a few will require it. The white strings contributes to blessings, when an individual ties the white string to the individual who is receiving this party, the individual who is tying the white string will normally chant a few words of wisdom and blessing to the said individuals, depending on what the ceremony is the blessings varies from ceremony to ceremony.
As a few of you may notice, I am now officially an aunt, but anyways this weekend we welcomed my little niece into the world and threw her a hu plig khi tes. It is a crucial thing to Hu Plig for a new born baby, this is a way to welcome the child into the family and into this world. The purpose of this Hu Plig is to call her soul to join the family’s soul so she will be protected by the family spirit, the protector of the household/last name. When a Hu Plig is done, it is much harder for other spirits to try to take her away as she is now protected by her parent’s household spirit. Yes we Hmong people believe in spirits and we believe they are everywhere.
Most of all the Hu Plig Khi Tes will start and end the same, same party just for different purpose. The family can and normally prepare the feast the day before. They will kill a pig or cow depending on how big the party is and prepare it by cutting it into different dishes that they wish to make. Chickens are put in little cage to be used the next day, these chicken must stay alive until when it is necessary. Drinks and veggies are purchased and prepared. Flowers, a white candle, white strings/yarns, candies and fruits are prepared for the centerpiece. A shaman comes to the house early in the morning to start the ceremony as she chants by the door while holing a chicken and whatever tools is needed. An animal is then offered to the household spirits and 2 chickens will then be killed and boiled and used as the center piece along the other items. The chicken will later be used as a mean of telling a set of fortune. The mother, father and new born will stand in the middle of the table in front of the centerpiece while the long white candle is burning as the shaman chant a few words of wisdom and blessing to the baby and family as the shaman holds the stack of strings; she must bless all the strings before anyone starts tying and blessing the family’s hand. The shaman will be the first to tie the strings, normally the strings will be tied onto the parents and the child, but mainly for the child. Each individual who ties a white string will normally put in a few dollars onto a plate in front of the family (or one of them will be holding the plate). Once everyone ties the white strings onto their hands the shaman will finish by making a few more blessings and then everyone gets to eat the big feast that had been prepared all morning long.
My parents has always say when the party is over we can cut off all the strings but keep at least 3 for at least 3 days. My sister in law cut off all the strings but 3 but my nieces hand was so small that those 3 left over strings came off, which would be fine too.
I am so grateful that we have such a rich tradition!
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