Today is the Lao/Thai/Cambodian New Year. First, all the members of Buddhachannel wish you a Happy Lao New Year.
We’re going to discover the ceremony of a New Year really particular.
In April, that is to say the 5th lunar month of the Buddhist calendar, is held on the New Year’s festivities, which is the water festival. They will last 3 days, the last day of the year, day neutral, and the first day of the following year. At that time, many flowers are in bloom, including small Lao orchids, which bloom (usually) in just 1 week Pimay!
The “Festival” of the Lao New Year covers three days from April 13 to April 15 (though the celebrations may last more than a week in cities such as Luang Prabang).
Historically, only women were allowed to throw water on people, but that was a tradition and a symbol became a sort of grand carnival. Lao (and Thai) also use more and more pieces of coal, flour, and dyes to mark the party participants.
The first morning will be celebrated in the big market, which includes all small businesses in the region have, for the occasion, made a few shacks.
Lao New Year Traditions
Water
Water is used for washing homes, Buddha images, monks, and soaking friends and passers-by. Students first respectfully pour water on their elders, then monks for blessings of long life and peace, and last of all they throw water each other. The water is perfumed with flowers or natural perfumes. Some people prefer flowers in the water to give a pleasant smell, as well as adding cologne/perfume.
The idea of watering came from the legend of King Kabinlaphom, whose seven daughters kept his severed head in a cave. The daughters would visit their father’s head every year and perform a ritual to bring happiness and good weather. Over the years another tradition has developed with Lao New Year: people will smear or throw cream (shaving cream or whipped cream) or white powder on each other during the celebrations.
Sand
Sand is brought to the temple grounds and is made into stupas or mounds, then decorated before being given to the monks as a way of making merit. There are two ways to make the sand stupas. One way is to go to the beach, and the other way is to bring sand to the wat, or pagoda. Sand stupas are decorated with flags, flowers, white lines, and splashed with perfumed water. Sand stupas symbolize the mountain, Phoukao Kailat, where King Kabinlaphom’s head was kept by his seven daughters.
Flowers
Flowers are gathered to decorate Buddha images. In the afternoons people collect fresh flowers. Senior monks take the younger monks to a garden filled with flowers, where they pick flowers and bring back to the wat to wash. People who didn’t participate in the flower picking bring baskets to wash the flowers so the flowers can shine with the Buddha statues.
Beauty pageant
There is an annual beauty pageant in Luang Prabang to crown Miss Bpee Mai Lao (Miss Lao New Year). There are many beauty pageants in Laos, but Luang Prabang – the old capital – is widely known for its Nangsoukhane pageant. There are seven contestants, each one symbolizing one of King Kabinlaphom’s seven daughters.
Music and dance
During Lao New Year, there are many spectacles including traditional Lao music, mor-lam, and lam-wong (circle dancing). During the daytime almost everybody is at the temple worshipping, hoping to have a healthier and happier life in the new year. During the evening, people of all ages go to the wat for entertainment.
There are several ways to wish someone a happy Lao New Year. The most common expressions are “souksan van peemai”, “Sok Di Pai Maï” or “sabidee pimai”, which can be translated into English as “Happy New Year”..
Photos (Source) : http://aquarium-asia.over-blog.com
Here is a preview of what you can see the days on New Year Lao :
