Laos Festivals and Activities

As a country with Buddhism as its official religion, Laos has many traditional festivals and public holidays almost every month. Laotian festivals, or boun, are like a part of Lao people's life and are mainly associated with historical Buddhist festivals or agricultural seasons on a hybrid solar and lunar calendar. It will be a great opportunity to spend a holiday in Laos, immerse yourself in the celebrations and learn more about the culture and traditional way of life.

There are several important events in Laos throughout the year. If you go on vacation or live in Laos, you should know about these festivals and holidays. They are one of the best ways to get to know Laos culture better. It’s also a lot of fun to take part in them. Many of the holidays in Laos are linked to agricultural seasons or historical Buddhist events. But there are also holidays that have been adapted from other cultures and are also celebrated here in Laos.

The general word for festival in Laos is boun. You’ll notice that by yourself when you take a look at the different festivals in Laos. By the way, Laotians really like to celebrate. Some events unofficially even start earlier and last a little longer than officially stated. However, this can differ from region to region. Some of the holidays in Laos are also celebrated in neighboring Buddhist countries. Including the Lao New Year, which is called Songkran in Thailand.

Laos Festivals List by Month

Date
Festival/Holiday
January 1
International New Year
January 6
Pathet Lao Day
January 20
Day of the Army
 In January or February
Chinese New Year
January
Boun Pha Vet
in February or March
Magha Puja
March 8
Women's Day
March 22
Day of Lao People's Revolutionary Party
in March (usually)
Boun Khoun Khao (Rice Festival)
April 14 to 16
Boun Pi Mai / Laos New Year
 May 1
Labor Day
mid to late May (usually)
Boun Bang Fai / Laos Rocket Festival
June 1
Children's Day
Start in June or July
(ends after three months)
Khao Pansa
August 13
Laos Issara / Day of the Free Laos
in August
Ho Khao Padap Dinh
in September or October
Boun Ok Phansa
in November
Boun That Luang / That Luang Festival
December 2
Laos National Day
End of the harvest season (November or December)
Hmong New Year

Main Festivals in Laos

Festivals/Holiday Time Brief Description
Lao New Year Festival-Boun Pi Mai In the 5th month of the Buddhist calendar, around mid-April, lasting 3 days. It is equivalent to the Chinese Spring Festival, and thus the most solemn festival among Lao people. During the festival, Laotians worship Buddha, bathe in the Buddha's body and splash water at the monastery. People splash water on each other at home and on the street to bless each other and let the pure water wash away past diseases and calamities, and pray for abundant rain and abundant crops in the coming year to welcome a wonderful new year.
Pha That Luang Festival In the 12th month of the Buddhist calendar (November of the Gregorian calendar), lasting a half month. Pha That Luang Festival is named because it is held in Pha That Luang. That Luang Stupa is both a Buddhist shrine in Laos and a national symbol of Laos. Pha That Luang is the largest and most grand traditional religious festival in Vientiane, the capital city. During the festival, a steady stream of monks from all over the country make pilgrimages to Wat That Luang, and Buddhists also bring various kinds of food, incense and candles, flowers, money, etc., to Pha That Luang to worship the Buddha, listen to the senior monks chanting and praying for good luck.
Boun Khoun Khao- Rice Festival In March Khoun Khao Festival reflects and honors agriculture of Laos, taking place in various villages throughout the month. The festival appreciates the spirit and abundance of the land as well as the rice harvest. During the ceremony, a senior in the village ties a white cotton strings around people’s wrists and pray for their happiness.
Boun Bang Fai- Rocket Festival Between May and September Every year in May, just before the rainy season, the traditional annual folk festival, the Rocket Festival, is celebrated on a grand scale throughout Laos. At this joyous event, people launch homemade rockets into the sky to pray to the god of rain for abundant rainfall during the upcoming agricultural season.
Bouk Ok Pansa and Boat Racing Festival of Laos In the 12th month of the Buddhist calendar (October of the Gregorian calendar) Bouk Ok Pansa symbolizes the end of the three-month rainy season and the beginning of the receding of the Mekong River. On the day of the festival, people celebrate by launching lantern boats on the Mekong River, and the next day is the Boat Racing Festival, where dragon boat races are held. After the festival, monks are allowed to go out and people can resume their marriages.

 
National Day On December 2nd The Central Committee of the Lao Patriotic Front held a National People's Congress in Vientiane, the capital, on December 1-2, 1975, which proclaimed the establishment of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. As a result, December 2 became the National Day of Laos.

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