September 16th 2014 | The next generation of Papua New Guineans. They danced, they sang, they laughed, they stood proud in their vibrant traditional bilas (attire) from the mountains to the sea, united as one.

This is the time of year I always look forward to. I love to see children in their traditional wear and try to guess which part of PNG they are from. Its amazing that one country can have so many different traditional attire, beliefs and customs and not to mention the different 800 plus languages!!!
When Independence Day comes around parents put so much effort, pride and love into each child’s traditional attire. From the skirts made of grass or tree bark to the millions of tiny shells that adorn the necklaces around their necks.

Below are some of my favorite photographs of the day. If you want to see more check out My New Guinea Facebook page 🙂