LAOS EVENTS & FESTIVALS ATTAPUE

LAOS celebrate several annual festivals called " Boun" particularly enjoyable and beautiful aspects of the traditional Lao lifestyle . Most festivals are connected with religion and the yearly rice farming cycle; while the timing of the festivals is calculated according to the Buddhist lunar calendar.

EVENTS & FESTIVALS IN ATTAPUE

MARCH – APRIL  BOUN PHA VET

A Ceremony where donations are offered to have one’s future read from a piece of paper during the 3 day 3 night festival.

14^th 16^th APRIL BOU VAT SAKHAE TEMPLE FESTIVAL

The ancient temple of Attapeu, the sacred Buddha image of Ongsene is one of the holiest of relics.

Located at Ban Sakhae Village Xaysettha District far from Attapeu town about 23 km on the road direction to Sekong province then turn right drive on dirt road about 5 km then take boat across to a temple.

14^th  16^th APRIL BOUN PI MAI ( LAOS’ NEW YEAR)

Lao’s New Year is celebrated at the same time each year (14th 16^th APRIL) . With the 16^th in the first day of the New Year. On the 14^th, Buddha images are taken out of the temples to be cleansed with scented water by devotees and placed on special temporary alters within the compounds of “ Vats” ( temples) . Devotees gather the scented water falling off the images to take home to pour on friends and relatives, as act of cleansing and purification before entering the New Year. On the evening of the 16^th, the images are returned to their proper shrines within the temples.

Boun Pi Mai is a time for much joyous celebration, with good deeds and prayers in anticipation the New Year.

MAY –JUNE ( ROCKET FESTIVAL – BOUN BANG FAI)

During this exciting festival, giant rockets constructed out of bamboo are shot into the sky, making quite a spectacular and noisy event. Each village traditionally parades its rocket to the temple first to make offerings, before launching it into the sky.

4^th SEPTEMBER BOUN KHAO PADAP DIN ( RICE GROWING FESTIVAL DAY)

On the new moon on the 9^th lunar month, special offering are made to the deceased.

19^th SEPTEMBER BOUM KHAO SALAK ( ANCESTOR FESTIVAL DAY)

Offerings , including daily necessities such as books , pens , sugar and coffee are made to specific monks, based on a lottery system. Laypeople also give beautiful wax flower candles to the monks in order to gain merit.

19^th OCTOBER BOUN ORK PHANSA ( END OF BUDDHIST LENT)

Held on the full moon that marks the end of the rainy season, monks who were ordained for the 3 month lent period leave the vat to reunite with their families. During the evening of Van Ork Pansa, in a charming ceremony , small banana leaf boats called heua fai are launched on rivers with offerings of incense , candles and small amounts of money to bring luck and prosperity.

19^th – 20^TH OCTOBER BOAT RACING FESTIVAL ( BOUN SOUANG HEUA)

VENUE : SAMAKKIXAY DISTRICT

This festival follows Boun Ork Pansa and is celebrated throughout the province (in addition to other province in Laos). Teams from each village and each district compete with each other; racing in long boats that seat up to 20 paddlers, along the Sekong River. After Attapue town each district open its own competition between villages teams, making this festival go on for days throughout the province.