In early August, the Ka’Ren community of Akron and Cleveland celebrated National Ka’Ren Martyr’s Day together at Patterson Ballpark in Akron. The sunny day was full of lively celebration with volleyball tournaments, food, and wrist-tying for people within the Ka’Ren culture and their multicultural neighbors to join! 

But what is Ka’Ren Martyr’s Day, and why is wrist-tying significant? What other holidays are celebrated by our Ka’Ren neighbors?  

Who are the Ka’Ren people? 

The Ka’Ren people are an ethnic group who live predominantly in Myanmar, or Burma. The most predominant languages spoken are Sgaw Ka’Ren and Pwo Ka’Ren. Because of ethnic cleansing by the Burmese government, many Ka’Ren people are living as refugees in Thailand, and many have since immigrated to other countries including the United States. There are three major celebrations that are unique to Ka’Ren culture: wrist-tying ceremonies, National Martyr’s Day, and Ka’Ren New Year.  

Akron and Lakewood are home to a significant Ka’Ren population who were resettled in the United States in the early to mid-2000s.  

Wrist-Tying Ceremony 

Wrist-tying is a beloved tradition in Ka’Ren culture. According to oral tradition, the Ka’Ren people originated in Mongolia, and over two thousand years ago began a dangerous trek through the Gobi Desert to Myanmar, where they have lived for centuries.  

As they crossed the Gobi Desert, they faced many dangers including kidnappers and exposure. The belief was that when a person is under great stress and fear, their soul leaves their body, which causes them to fall ill. To tie their souls down to their bodies, the elders tied red and white thread around everyone’s wrists to protect their safety, happiness, and wellness.  

Over time, this tradition lived on across many villages and families. Wrist-tying symbolizes unity and trust within the Ka’Ren community, and lives on today as a proud indicator of Ka’Ren identity. Wrist-tying is celebrated as a reunion, where people across Thailand and Myanmar return to their hometowns to eat special meals, exchange gifts, and tie their wrists.  

Traditionally, an eldest married couple will initiate the wrist-tying, and they will tie the wrists of their children and those in the generation below them. Their children, in turn, will tie the wrists of the grandchildren, so generally an elder ties thread around the wrist of someone younger. It is also common for people to tie thread around friends’ wrists, so long as they remain within the same generation.  

When the younger generation accept the wrist-tying from the elder, they present to the elders a bamboo tray of symbolic elements: water (to symbolize purity and cleansing), sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves into a triangular shape (to represent intelligence), a rice ball (closeness and community), sugar cane (to represent maturity and personal growth), paw wee (a flower that symbolizes the Ka’Ren people), and bananas (to represent family). The elders will use white and red thread to wrap around people’s wrists three times before tying it closed, snipping off the excess, and placing it on the person’s head to symbolize securing the soul from leaving the body. They are then free to keep and eat the food offered on the bamboo tray.  

National Ka’Ren Martyr’s Day 

While diaspora communities will sometimes celebrate a wrist-tying ceremony at the same time as National Ka’Ren Martyr’s Day, these two holidays are typically recognized separately. National Ka’Ren Martyr’s Day is a day of mourning as the people commemorate the death of Saw Ba U Gyi, the first president of the Ka’Ren people. He was assassinated by the Burmese military in 1950. The day also recognizes the fallen Ka’Ren leaders who sacrificed their lives for Ka’Ren freedom.  

To this day, the Ka’Ren Resistance Army continues to fight against the Burmese military for Ka’Ren rights. This day serves as a Memorial Day in the Ka’Ren community.  

Ka’Ren New Year 

Ka’Ren New Year celebrates the rice harvest, and the passing of a new year according to the Ka’Ren calendar. Years are marked as how many years it has been since the Ka’Ren people began their journey from the Gobi Desert to Myanmar. According to tradition, as of 2024 we are in the year 2763. 

A popular dish eaten during Ka’Ren holidays is Ta Ker Paw, which is soup prepared with bamboo shoots, snails, vegetables, basil leaves, and white rice. Other dishes include meals cooked with fish paste and boiled vegetables like bamboo shoots, spinach, and cucumbers.  

Ka’Ren holidays are generally unassociated with a specific religious belief system. Community members come from a diverse array of religions, so celebrations like Wrist-Tying and New Year brings together Ka’Ren community members across all faiths and beliefs. Together they set aside their differences to celebrate their Ka’Ren identity.  

(Photos courtesy of Hsa Win)