Luang Prabang Festival and Daily Rituals

Rituals and festivals, whether they occur once a day or once a year, convey the spirit and essence of a culture, identifying what is unique to a locality. In Luang Prabang, the ritual cycle is dominated by Thervada Buddhist customs and traditions, integrated with tributes paid to the animistic spirits (Phi) of the land and water. Because it is the traditional center of the region in Laos and the seat of the former royal family, annual festival(Boun) are often organized on a grand scale in Luang Prabang. Festivals are governed by different phase of the moon, but in general are held in the same month each year, as outline in the box below:

January: Boun Khoun Khao - Harvest festival, celebrated after rice has been harvested, in which a ceremony is held to give thanks to the spirit of the land and ensure the next harvest will be plentiful.

Boun Pha Vet - A temple based festival when jataka or story of Prince Vestsantara (the Buddha's penultimate life) are recited. The festival lasts for three days and three nights. Visiting fortuneteller are also a popular attraction at this time.

February: Boun Makha Bous'a - A temple - based festival held during the full moon commemorating the speech given by Buddha to 1,250 enlightened monks. Temple goers circumnavigate the Vat Three times with candles in a ceremony known as vien tian.Boun khao Chi - special bread of sticky rice, coated with egg and then grilled, is made and offered to the monks. This offering occurs during Makha bous'a, but is no longer widely practiced.

April: Boun Pimai - New year festival beginning in mid -April and last three days. Held before the onset of the rainy season, it recognizes the important of water in people's lives. It's also a purification festival during which Buddha images in the household and the temples are ritually cleaned with sacred water. the Prabang image is moved out of the national museum during the festival to be purified in the ground of Vat Mai. The water from cleaning ceremonies is then poured or splashed by people on to each other to clean them luck for the coming year. The most elaborate New year festival rites in Lao PDR are held in Luang Prabang with processions of the legendary guardian spirit of town. Traditionally, Boun Pi Mai also served to reaffirm Lao kingship.