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Karen National NewYear celebrations are heldduring the pleasant month of Pyathoe (on the Romancalendar ? Dec/Jan). Peoplemark the occasion by soundingthe Karen horn and drum, tomaintain the tradition of theKaren New Year, until the endof time. Officially, the KarenNew Year began in 1938.Celebrations were first held in1939 .It was on the first of January 1938, (which that yearcorresponded with the first of Pyathoe), that Karen nationalleaders demands to the Britishadministration for the KarenNew Year were finally recog-nized, and declared an officialholiday. That date was alsoformally acknowledged asbeing the year 2677 on theKaren calendar.In fact, themovement for a distinct Karennational day was begun by SayaSan Baw, in 1935. As memberof parliament for TharyawatiDistrict, he argued that a KarenNational Day should beintroduced. However, theBritish colonial administrationsuggested that a Karen NewYear day would be a betteralternative. In 1937, the Karenparliamentary representativesagain presented the case for aKaren National Da, againunsuccessfully. The KarenNational Association (KNA)realized that they instead had towork towards the Karen NewYear day. On 2 August 1937,Saw Johnson Deepominn,member of parliament for Taun-goo District, presented the caseto the lower house. Howeverthe Karen representatives in thechamber were split in theirsupport across the two sides of parliament ? U Pu’s governingfaction, and the opposition leadby Dr. Ba Maw. As the demandswere coming from a memberKaren ministers. The demandwas retabled, and passed.
History of the Karen National New Year
Karen New Year Celebration Committee, Sydney(December, 2009)
Karen New Year Celebration Committee, Sydney
 
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EDITORIAL
Ba Maw’s cabinetratified the proposal, andpresented it to the GovernorGeneral for approval. In late1937, the Governor Generalsigned the legislation. The firstday of Pyathoe, 1938 (KarenYear 2677), was declared thefirst Karen New Year.Initially, the Karenleaders had been divided overthe best day forthe New Year tofall on.Threealtern- ativeswere putforward. 1. Thesame day as theRoman calendar.2.The date when (themissionary) Dr. Judson firstarrived in Burma. 3.The firstday of Pyathoe. The optionswere discussed and the matterresolved. The first alternativehas global significance, and itwas felt that a distinctive datefor the Karen New Year wouldbe more appropriate. As for thesecond alterna- tive,Dr. Judsonwas a Christian missionary, sothis date would be suitable forChristians, but not Karens of other religions. The first day of Pyathoe was best.Additionally themonth of Pyathoe is special forThis is a significant year forthe Sydney Karencommunity- celebratingKaren New Year in a singlevenue, under one bannerand showing oneness as acommunity affair. It is great.As an editorial team weunderstand the value of unity and its sensitivitiessurround.We have taken great effortsin fulfilling the wishes of the community andpresented a new version of Karen New Year Journal tothe community.
Sincerely
The editorial team
Pahtee BenyaTee Saw GyiSaw Eh Kaw
Karen New YearCelebration Committee,Sydney, Australia.
Karen cultural solidarity, giventhe following reasons:1. Although Karens havedifferent names for Pyathoe(Sgaw Karens call it Th’lay andfor Pwo Karens, Htike Kauk Po) the first of each of thesemonths falls on exactly thesame date.2.The rice harvest is completedin the period leading to Pyathoe,andaccordingto Karentraditionalreligiouspractice,theremust beacelebra- tion for consump-tionof the new crop. It is also thetime to divine the date forcommencement of the nextcrop. Typically, this is alsowhen new houses areconstructed, and the completionof these must be celebrated.3.The first of Pyathoe is not adistinct festival for any religiousgroup, so it is a day that isacceptable to all Karen people.For these reasons, onthe first of Pyathoe annually, wecelebrate the Karen New Year.Referenceby Mahn Thint Naung(Kawkareik District 1976)
 
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Today we recall our heritage, our ancient poet, prophets and our tradition of Ywa(God). We believethat every individual, every home, every village has a place in the new advance. Progressive inthinking, constructive in planning, and courageous in living, we can share responsibility withother communities for the making of Burma a united people.This is a historic day. It is our first officially recognized National Day. It is a day of opportunity.We are emerging from isolation into the stream of national affairs. Our conviction is that our twomillion Karen have a significant part to play in Burma’s destiny.We owe our existence a people not to organization or any political arrangements but to certaindistinctive qualities that beer given us, Our traits include simplicity, a love of music, honesty,steadiness, and sense of God. We believe that we can best keep and develop these characteristicsin free association with other people. We are at a crisis. For us the choice lies between seekingprotection through isolation, or adventure through active participation in the live of Burma. Unitedourselves, we could help to make Burma a nation. We recognize that as leaders we must be fullycommittee to our country free from fear, personal ambition, racial and religious prejudice.Are we ready on this New Year’s Day to put the best traditions of our people at the service of ourpeople at the service of this whole country?SignedSan C.Po, Shwe Ba , Hla Pe, Sydney Loo Nee, Saw petha
The First Karen New Year Message, 1938
Happy Karen New Year to all!I would like to thank to the Sydney Karen New YearCelebration Committee and also those who are participating andattending to make this auspicious day a successful event.The Karen New Year day is one of the most significantoccasions to all Karen people regardless of their religiousaffiliations or geographical differences. It falls on the same day inKaren Calendar.I am here to say that our Karen leaders had fought so hard toleave this day to be officially recognized as we are here to paytribute to those leaders and uphold the auspiciousness of the day as our duty.More over the recent Karen refugees migrations to the outside world has opened up a newchapter for the Karen New Year celebrations. Today the celebrations are no longer restricted to ourhome land. It has spread all over the world in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, America,United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, South Africa and many more. There will beplenty more Karen New Year Celebrations in the coming years.There is a stark reminder that the Karen New Year Celebration is a part of our traditions. Asa whole, our traditions must be alive. To keep our traditions, first we must be free.We were obviously not free in our home land. We struggled barely survive. We areindigenous ethnics to a land called Burma and belong to the most numbers in refugee populationrecognized by the United Nations.We fought so hard for the struggle for justice to be known in the international arenas. Wethough did not get very far as we were so far away in the jungle. Now as we are here in betterplaces, please make great efforts to continue our struggle for those of our brothers and sisters whoare left behind in the jungle.
With best wishesROSTAN PO
Karen elder’s forwards
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