| In Laos a holiday or festival is called a boon.
The word means "merit" or " good deeds" in most Lao dialects. Boon
also refers to religious rites. There is at least one boon every
month. There are also four major festivals associated with public holidays.
The Laotian New Year, celebrated in April, is known
as the Boon Pee Mai or the boon of the fifth month. This
is a time of great feasting and lasts three to seven days. On the last
day of the old year, houses are cleaned and put in order. This is a symbolic
activity, intended to expel any bad spirits that may be hiding in the home.
On the first day of the new year, people go to the temple where they wash
the statues of the Buddha with perfumed holy water. They pray for good
health and prosperity in the new year. For the remaining days of the festival,
Laotians sing, dance and enjoy special meals. Birds and animals in captivity
are released to ensure good luck. People build towers of sand along the
riverbanks. In Luang Prabang there are processions with elephants. |
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| Visakha Puja in May celebrates the Buddha's enlightenment.
It coincides with the Rocket Festival or Boon Bang Fai. This festival
predates Buddhism and was designed to remind the gods that the earth needs
rain. People fire rockets made of bamboo filled with gunpowder. Some rockets
are made by Buddhist monks, others are homemade. In Vientiane, the rockets
are judged and the best is given a prize. People enjoy dancing, singing,
processions and puppet shows. |
|
Did you know? |
| The
timing of most Laotian festivals depends on the phases of the moon. Most
festivals start on the day of the full moon. |
|
|
| Haw Khao Padap Din in August is a festival
of the dead. Monks chant special prayers for the dead and people pay their
respects to their ancestors. Boon Nam is the Water Festival in the
autumn. This is celebrated with boat races on the rivers.
The Boon That Luang (Festival of the
Great Stupa) is celebrated during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month.
It marks the end of harvest, but it is also a celebration of Laos's greatest
national monument, the Pha That Luang, or Great Stupa, in Vientiane.
This huge religious tower was built in 1566. It is said to be on the site
of an earlier building that contained a relic of the Buddha. The celebration
lasts a week and includes a candlelight parade around the stupa, as well
as fireworks and music. |
|
| January 1 |
International
New Year |
| April |
Laotian
New Year |
| May 1 |
International
Labour Day |
| May |
Visakha
Puja |
| October |
Festival
of Fasting |
| November |
That Luang
Festival |
| December 2 |
National
Day |
|
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