August 12 (NMG) One of Burma’s major ethnic nationalities, Karen people in exile celebrated their “Chi-Phyu” cultural festival in Mae Sot habitat monastery on Tuesday August 12.

Over 2000 Karen attended this festival which was organized by Rev. Khaymasaya, the head of monastery on August 12, on a full moon day of Wah-Gaung in accordance with Karen traditional calendar.

Unlike others religious events, this festival allows peoples from every religions or races to come and enjoy it. In the festival, people exchange white cotton bracelets each other as a symbol of unity, to purify their moral conducts and upholding their tradition and culture, as Karen believes.

“On the day of tying white-cotton bracelets, it is a get-together for all family members regardless of where they are and they all gather under one roof. This bracelets symbolize unity among our siblings, and the color of ‘white’ is a symbol of honesty and purity,” one Karen woman in the festival said.

“Now-a-days red and blue colors are substituting white color in recent three or four years especially among the youngsters”, she also added a slight change in their tradition although Karen peoples used to tie only with while color bracelets.

In fact, Rev. Khaymasaya recalled his memory of celebrations on this occasion for ten years in exiles.

“I am happy because it is an up-holding our Karen tradition and I would be happier if it were in Burma,” a party-goer Nan May Aye said.

Network Media Group