Lao New Year is a popular English name for a traditional celebration known in Laos as "Pi Mai" (in Lao language). Lao New Year is the most widely celebrated festival in Laos.[1] The festival is also celebrated by the Lao in the United States of America, Canada, France, and Australia. Lao New Year takes place in April, the hottest time of the year in Laos, which is also the start of the monsoon season. Lao New Year or Songkran takes place at roughly the same time as the new year celebrations of many countries in South Asia like India, Sri Lanka (Puthandu) and Southeast Asia.