February
Wat Phu Festival in Champasack Province
This festival is held on the grounds of the enchanting pre-Angkorian Wat Phu ruins a World Heritage Site, festivities include donations and offerings, elephant races, buffalo fights, and performances of Lao traditional music and dance; a trade fair showcasing products of Southern Laos.
April
“Boon Pi Mai” Laos’ New Year
The Lao New Year is celebrated at the same time each year(April 13-16) The first day of the new year, Buddha images are taken out of the temples to be cleansed with scented water by devotees, and placed special temporary altars within the compounds of “ Wat “ temples. Devotees gather the scented water falling off the images, to take home and use it to poor on friends and relatives, as an act of cleansing and purification before entering the New Year. On the evening of the 16th, the images are returned to their proper shriners within the temples.
May
Boon Bang Fai ( Rocket Festival)
A ceremony for praying for rain is performed at the temple in the morning.In the afternoon, people gather in fields on the outskirts of villages and towns to launch the Rockets with much abandoned revelry. Villages, communities and civil departments Compete for the “ best decorated “ and the “ highest traveling “ rocket. Beginning around the middle of May, the festival dates are staggered from place to place enabling more participation and attendance.
July
Boon khao Phansa ( Buddhist Lent )
This is the beginning of the Buddhist Lent. During the next three-month period, monks spend most of their time in prayer and meditation and are restricted from spending nights in other temples. This festival is held during the eighth full moon of the lunar calendar.
August
Boon khao Padabdin and Boat Racing Festival in Luang Phrabang
On the khao padabdin ceremony day, people visit local temples to make offeringsTo dead ancestors as well as to share in merit-making. This festival includes boat Racing on the Namkhan river and a trade fair in Luangprabang, the World Heritage town.
October
Boon Okphansa, Boat racing Festival & Naga rocket
This is the festival held after the end of the Monks’ three-months fast and retreat during the rainy season ( Boon khao Phansa ). At dawn on the first day, donations and offering are made at temples around the city. In the evening, candlelight processions are held at temples and hundred of colorful floats decorated with flowers, incense and candles are set adrift down the Mekong River to pay respect to the river spirit. The following day in Vientiane and some provinces, a popular and exciting boat racing competition is held to celebrate the Mekong River.“Naga Rocket” the fireballs coming out from the water’s surface, can be seen once a year on the last night of the Lao Buddhist Lent. The Naga rockets can be spotted where the Nam Ngum and Mekong River meet in PakNgum district, 60 km East of Vientiane Capital.
November
That Luang Festival in Vientiane
This religious festival is held in and around That luang Stupa, the national symbol of Laos, where hundred of monks from all around the country gather to accept alms floral votives from the people. The festival includes a grand fireworks display at night. During the day, an international trade fair, showcasing tourism in Laos and other countries from ASEAN and the Greater Mekong Sub-region. The Thatluang festival attracts Lao people and foreigners alike from around the world every year. It is the largest festival of Laos.
Hmong New Year
In Oudomxay, Sayabury, Xiengkhuang, Luangphrabang and Vientiane province. The Hmong New Year celebration features colorful displays of traditional costumes Made from green, red ann white silk and ornate silver jewelry. Music from traditional Hmong instruments such as the teunflute, Hmong-style khaen pipe and leaf blowing is enjoyed. Other festivities include the Makkhon(cotton-ball) throwing ceremony, ox fighting, spinning-top races and crossbow demonstrations.
December
That Inghang Festival in Savannakhet
Held on the grounds of the splendid That Inghang Stupa which is located outside The city of Savannakhet. An international trade fair will include exhibitions of tourism products from Laos,Vietnam and Thailand. The fair will also include the performance of traditional Lao music and dance, as well as a sports competition, and a drumming competition.
