Karen in Melbourne Celebrates Wrist Tying Ceremony

More than one hundred people attended the ethnic Karen’s annual wrist tying ceremony at a primary school in Melbourne, Victoria State of Australia. The ceremony, known as Lah Ku Kee Su in S’gaw Karen and Lar Khao Khang Su in Pwo Karen. Rooted by ancestral beliefs in spirits, the ceremony began at 10 am this morning and was held at Woodville Primary School in Hoppers Crossing, a western suburb in Melbourne. Karen communities in Melbourne and other special guests attended the ceremony, wearing Karen traditional clothes and celebrating it with Karen traditional “Done” dances and songs. Traditionally, the colourful festival take place in August at full moon and has no religious significance. During the ceremony the Karen people ties white threads around the wrists to ware off illness. Now a days, the festival has also became a symbol of gathering and unity among the Karen people.

Karen wrist tying ceremony in Melbourne, Australia. 18/8/2018 Source: Shah Paung/SBS Karen