La Ha ethnic group
Customs and habits
The La Ha house is built on stilts
with two entrances and ladders at both ends. Young boys and girls are free to
seek their love. A young boy will visit a young girl at her house playing a
flute or a two-string violin to try to engage her in normal conversation. After
the marriage proposal, the bridegroom lives in the bride's family house for
four to eight years before the wedding actually takes place. The bride then
joins her husband's family and takes his family name.
Old customs require that a dead
person be buried along with their money and a rice paddy. The La Ha believes
there are many supernatural forces including spirits of the forest, the water,
the mist, and the house. In each family, only the soul of the father, which
will turn into the spirit of the house after his death, is worshipped. Every
year, when the ban flowers blossom, a celebration is held by every family to honor
their parents.
Culture
The La Ha language belongs to the
Kadai Group.
Costumes
The La Ha dresses the same as the
Black Thai.
Economy
The La Ha lives on slash-and-burn
farming. Nowadays, many villages cultivate rice in submerged fields and build
embankments to protect the soil from erosion. The La Ha grows cotton but do not
weave.
