Hmong Spiritual New Year Celebrations Highlight Ancestral Traditions and Shaman Practices

Community leaders strive to preserve animist traditions among younger generations in the U.S..

Americans celebrate their spiritual new year, 'Noj Peb Caug', mainly in November and December, with rituals that include soul-calling ceremonies, venerating ancestor spirits, and invoking the protection of good spirits.
Shamans play a crucial role in these celebrations, sending off their spirit guides to regenerate their energy for another season of healing.
The majority of the approximately 300,000 Hmong in the United States are animists and believe that spirits live throughout the physical world, including multiple souls in a person.
Many younger Hmong have not learned the spiritual significance of cultural traditions, leading to efforts by community leaders to preserve and pass on these traditions.
Rituals often include the slaughter of animals as an offering or an exchange of spirits, and meat is considered a significant part of new year dishes.