Birth Party

When a child is born in Laos, the celebration is not held until a couple of months after the birth. In Enhlish it called a Birth Party, but I don’t know what its called in Lao. To one of these celebrations was I invited to today through my step-grandfather. It says on the invitation that it starts at 10 in the morning and then having lunch. We arrive 10.45 and are the first ones to be there. Not until 11.30-12.00 more people start to drop in. I could write a lot about this occasion, but I will focus on the dance. When most people where at the end of their meal, the host couple/parents to the child start off the dance, dancing the traditional Lao Dance but are soon joined by others. Mostly women in their fifties and above. The dance is simple, just swing to the music and moving your hands in a wave-like fashion as you walk around the dance floor. Despite the dance’s simplicity I am somehow fascinated by it. My belief is that what makes it such an enchanting sight is the older women. While they dance they give a sense of elegance and pride. I also think it is because of the seriousness in what they’re doing. In Sweden people would have laughed and might have danced as if they were joking, but these people danced just to enjoy the dance in itself.