Traditional Festivals
Lao Festivals are usually linked to agricultural seasons or historical Buddhist holidays. The biggest celebration, New Year, interestingly enough takes place in mid-April, and this is also true of Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, and among the Dai people of Yunnan, China. Boon Bang Fai (the rocket festival) takes place a month later in May, when more significant rain showers should materialize. This is an animist celebration with plenty of processions, music and dancing, accompanied by the firing of bamboo rockets to prompt the heavens to send rain. The week-long Tat Luang Festival in Vientiane in November has the whole repertoire of fireworks, music and parades.
Festivals in Laos are mostly linked to the agricultural seasons and historical Buddhist holidays, so called " BOON."
February: Boon Maka Bucha, the rice roasting ceremony organized at the beginning of February (on full moon day) to celebrate the fruitful harvesting.
April: Lao New Year Day. The biggest celebration, New Year, interestingly enough takes place in mid-April, and this is also true of Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, and among the Dai people of Yunnan, China. Houses are cleaned, offerings are made in wats and everyone gets dowsed by water.
May: Boon Visaka Bucha , a Buddhist holiday that commemorates the birth, death, and enlightenment of the Buddha, all combined on a single day. People flock to the temple for a candlelight procession three times around the main building (the sim) and to make offerings.