Festivals In Laos
Hmong’s New Year, it is widely celebrated in Laos that local people call”Noj Peb Caug” The festivities were celebrated in the mid of December until beginning January which it is the end of harvesting season and to give thanks to the ancestors for crops year. Local Hmong’s families group will be preparing the feasts for their relatives which include various of meals, foods and fruits to prepared with the crops that they had harvested it. Normally, Hmong families will pay for tribute to their ancestors and pray for good blessing in the coming year. Those practice Shamanism that will draws a connection among spiritual and material world for performing in their house ritual offering to their ancestors.
Elephant Festival, in Laos is held on every year in mid February in Xayyabouly Province” The Land Of One Million Elephant Under White Parasol “.The festival feature of elephants to give thanks giving elephants after Mahouts or Farmers finished harvesting their crops to offer their foods and fruits for their elephants that it takes part of traditional blessing ceremony by senior monks and shaman which they are participated more than 100 elephants it ties among lao traditional and culture communities, in the mean time celebration there are open air night market fare, comedy show, concert show, traditional dancing, foreign artist demonstration and outdoor museum.
Boun Khong Khao, it is the rice harvest festival meriting land spirits and rice festival in Laos are deeply installed to the lao agriculture calendar that widely celebrate on among year festival commemoration for the earth god, goddess and ancestors. Boun KhongKhao is held on between late January and early February that it’s the end of rice harvesting season. The date can be each year which it often determines by Buddhist lunar calendar that it’s widely celebrate various rural countryside as well as region of Laos which rice festival must display at the center surround of village temples and they will participate by local communities to worship the spirits of ancestors to bring them the good fortunes and good season for the year of crops, you can observe in provinces such as Xayyabouly, Savannakhet and Champasak.
Lao New Year Festival, it is well know in english name for lao traditional celebration that local people called “Pii Mai Lao” is widely celebrated in Laos every once year from 13,14,15-April. The first day is the last date the old year that all the houses and villages properly cleaned in the first day and they will prepare all donations and offerings such as perfume, pure-water, beautiful flowers, candles, incense, white cotton thread to use for worship home, buddha statue, novices, monks for good fortunes such as good health, good luck, good business, prosperous and longevity. Especially for young people are respectfully to pour the water to elderly people and even soaking water to friends for good blessing as well. The festival is also celebrated by Laotian people who live in Australia, USA,UK, Canada and France. Lao New Year was held on in the mid of April, the hottest time of the year and also beginning the rainy season in Laos that local people called Monsoon season. It usually takes place at the same times as the same new year celebration as many countries in South East Asia Countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and India.
Boun Bung Fai(Rocket Festival), it is significant celebration in Laos and It’s deeply held on among May Or June that it will be earlier rainy season. Local communities gather together to build magnificent, beautiful decorate bamboo rockets for communities competition to shoot it to the skyward to heaven for worshiping the water element spirits such as Naga, Dragon and Indra as god of the storm to pray for getting rain as for prosperous of harvesting season and bring for good fortune for their families. In the meantime, festival celebration would have secret promise someone who have failed from rockets shooting must push into the dirt muddy field as traditional and they will serve as community parties, entertainments and small open air market fare show.
Boun Khao Phansa, it’s taken place from very beginning of Buddhist Lent that it will start the day after full moon of the eight months on Buddhist lunar calendar and it usually take place in July. The traditional annual three months in rainy season for the novices and monks to retreat themselves with meditation in the temples for three months. Duration of this period we not allow Buddhist novices and monks to travel and stay over the night outside the temples. Others respecting for Boun Khao Phansa festival that we also not allow human to have activity such Wedding ceremony, Building the new houses, Parties. Special occasion, Buddhist people usually like to prepare donations and offerings such flowers, candles, Incense jobs ticks, fruits, foods, water and various necessities to offer for Buddhist novices, monks, buddha and water element spirits such as naga or dragon for meriting for themselves. This is good time to enjoy traditional dragon boat racing festival at Namkhan river in Luangprabang’s world heritage UNESCO town.
Boun Ok Phansa, it is the end of Buddhist Lent which after three months for the Buddhist novices and monks retreat themselves at the monastery, afterwards they will return to daily life and various of activities. This is taking part of lao national public holiday that it usually takes place in October while is nearly the end of rainy season. In the evening, Buddhist people will also prepare their donations and offering such as various beautiful colorful floating flowers, floating banana boats, floating bamboo boats in difference shape of sacred animals and it includes the incense, candles, waters, fruits, foods or moneys to bring them into the rivers for worship the water element spirits as Naga or Dragon to pray for their good daily life and good fortunes. Besides that many of Buddhist people would be honored to gather together in the temples for celebrate candlelit procession under beautiful full moon night to pray and worship for the Buddha. This is good time to enjoy traditional dragon boat racing festival at mighty Mekong river in Vientiane Capital City.
PhaThatLuang Festival, it is one of magnificent and biggest festival in Vientiane capital city as well as in Laos. PhaThatLuang stupa is important symbol of lao Buddhism and sovereignty and it’s always display on lao national seal or stamps. Various of people over Lao country to participate for celebration for three days which it usually takes place in November during the Buddhist full moon. In the meantime, Numerous of Buddhist people will be gathering together at the PhaThatLuang stupa with preparing donations and offerings such as flowers, candles, incense, water, fruits, foods to offer for alms giving for Buddhist novices and monks in early morning. And in the evening Buddhist people will enter to PhaThatLuang to celebrate full moon candlelit for worshiping the relics of buddha at the PhaThatLuang stupa. Surrounding the PhaThatLuang festival is combined the variety activities such as open air night market fare, comedy show, concert show, kick boxing match, volleyball match and petanque competition.
Boun Wat Phou Champasak, it is great significance for Lao people and it’s sacred place to pray for good fortunes such as goodness, happiness, successful, prosperous and longevity. The festival’s held on every the end of January and it always takes place every 15 days of third lunar month for three days celebration and during Buddhist lunar calendar under full moon night that it engaged for various of Laotian people to gather together for celebration festival with preparing donations and offerings such as beautiful flowers, incense, candles, waters, fruits, foods or moneys to worship of Hindu Mon-Khmer gods such as Shiva god, Vishnu god, Brahma god and goddess. In the mean time Buddhist people engaged their celebration full moon candlelit around the Wat Phou. At the festival celebration that they still have commercial display and events such as traditional dancing, comedy show, concert show, kick boxing match, cockfight, petanque, volleyball match and traditional boat racing.