Young couples often sing love songs to each other and exchange small gifts. Although arranged marriages are becoming more common, young people are still free to select their own mates. A newlywed couple usually lives with the groom's family until the birth of their first child. At that time, the young couple moves into their own home. Within the extended family, the oldest male has virtually unlimited authority.
Some households are nuclear, while others are extended, ranging from one to twenty-five members.
The Hmong are generally small in stature, kind, hospitable, and lovable. They are well known for their songs and dances. Although they have no full-time craftsmen, they are famous for their silver work, embroidery, and intricate needlework. The Hmong practice their own ethnic religion, which involves the worship of demons, spirits of nature, and ancestral spirits. Almost all activities of the Hmong are regulated by customs and taboos.