| caption: |
Chapter Three. Phases of Life |
| caption: |
Spring festival gifts between affines |
| text: |
In the course of this exchange of gifts, a man received at the time of every spring festival presents of meat, rice, and rice beer from the nearest agnatic kinsman of his wife. The obligation to deliver these ceremonial gifts passed from father to son. Thus, Shankok had to make such gifts to the husbands of his two sisters, Liphung and Meniu, both of whom were still childless and, therefore, lived in Shankok's house. At the spring festival, which I attended, Shankok gave to his elder sister's husband one hind leg of a pig, eight sides of bacon, four parcels of cooked rice, and two pots of rice beer. |
