Akron’s Karen community rang in the new year Saturday with a celebration featuring dancing, music and food.

The new year traditionally signifies the end of the rice harvest for the Karen people, many of whom are from Myanmar (formerly Burma). At a traditional new year celebration, the people in the village would all come together and share their crops and food to mark the end of another season. They would then receive a blessing from a village elder for future success.

A decades-long conflict has led to the displacement of many Karen people, most notably to neighboring Thailand and the United States. 

The 18th celebration of the Akron event, which is hosted by the Karen Community of Akron. was held at Jennings Community Learning Center in North Hill.

Dancers perfrom during a traditional Myanmar dance representing the eight major ethnic groups during the Karen New Year Celebration at Jennings Community Learning Center in North Hill on Saturday.
Dancers perfrom during a traditional Myanmar dance representing the eight major ethnic groups during the Karen New Year Celebration at Jennings Community Learning Center in North Hill on Saturday. (Michael Francis McElroy / Signal Akron)
A traditional headpiece, often worn by members of the Rahkine ethnic group, is adorned with an imitation flower that only grows in Myanmar. It is being removed from a dancer's head after her performance at the Karen New Year Celebration at Jennings Community Learning Center Saturday in North Hill.
A traditional headpiece, often worn by members of the Rahkine ethnic group, is adorned with an imitation flower that only grows in Myanmar. It is being removed from a dancer’s head after her performance at the Karen New Year Celebration at Jennings Community Learning Center Saturday in North Hill. (Michael Francis McElroy / Signal Akron)
Signal background
Samuel Moo (left) has a traditionl headwrap placed on his head by dance instructor and community outreach coordinator Hsa Win at the Karen New Year Celebration at Jennings Community Learning Center Saturday in North Hill.
Samuel Moo (left) has a traditionl headwrap placed on his head by dance instructor and community outreach coordinator Hsa Win at the Karen New Year Celebration at Jennings Community Learning Center Saturday in North Hill. (Michael Francis McElroy / Signal Akron)
Fifteen-year-old Paw Plar, who represents the Shan ethnic group, performs a traditional Myanmar dance during the Karen New Year Celebration Saturday at Jennings Community Learning Center in North Hill.
Fifteen-year-old Paw Plar, who represents the Shan ethnic group, performs a traditional Myanmar dance during the Karen New Year Celebration Saturday at Jennings Community Learning Center in North Hill. (Michael Francis McElroy / Signal Akron)

Editor-in-Chief (she/her)
Zake has deep roots in Northeast Ohio journalism. She was the managing editor for multimedia and special projects at the Akron Beacon Journal, where she began work as a staff photographer in 1986. Over a 20-year career, Zake worked in a variety of roles across departments that all help inform her current role as Signal Akron's editor in chief. Most recently, she was a journalism professor and student media adviser at Kent State University, where she worked with the next generation of journalists to understand public policy, environmental reporting, data and solutions reporting. Among her accomplishments was the launch of the Kent State NewsLab, an experiential and collaborative news commons that connects student reporters with outside professional partners.