LAOS EVENTS & FESTIVALS - SEKONG

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 SEKONG

15^th -17^th FEBRUARY BOUN KHOUN KHAO OR KHOUN LAN ( SWIDDEN RICE FIELD FESTIVAL)

This is a harvest festival held at Lamam District in Sekong Province. “ Baci” ceremony is performed in order to give thanks to the land.

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.

15^th -16^th APRIL BOUN PI MAI LAO (  LAO NEW YEAR)

Pi Mai Lao, celebrated during the week of 14^th 16^th April featured the Nang Sangkhan Parade and many days of festive water splashing and house warming parties. Other festivals are celebrated in villages throughout Sekong at different times of the year.

15^th 30^th MAY BOUN BANG FAI ( ROCKET FESTIVAL)

Villagers make rockets from bamboo and homemade gunpowder, dress decadently and parade their rockets noisily around the village before competing with each other to “ unleash the monsoon rains” by blasting their rockets into the sky. This festival often occurs in May before preparing the rice fields for the new growing season.

24^th MAY BOUN VISAKHA BOUCHA DAY

This festival is held during the sixth full moon of the lunar calendar for the Buddha. Candlelight processions are held in temples to mark the birth date of Buddha.

19^th – 22^ND JULY BOUN LAK MOUANG (OFFER CITY PILLAR CEREMONY ON JULY)

BUDDHIST LENT (BOUN ASALAHABOUCHA AND BOUN KHAO PANSA)

This marks the beginning of the Buddhist Lent. During the next 3 month period, monks spend most of their time in prayer and meditation and are restricted from spending nights in other temples other than their own.

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

At the Khao Padabdin ceremony day, people visit local temples to make offerings to dead ancestors as well as to share merit making.

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

This is for offerings to be made for dead ancestor to obtain merit. Popular and exciting longboat races are held to celebrate the river. This festival is held during the tenth full moon of the lunar calendar.

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

At dawn , on the first , donation and offerings are made at temples around the city. In the evening, candlelight processions are held around the temples and hundreds of colourful floats decorated with flowers, incense and candle are set adrift down the river to give thanks to the river spirit.

3^rd DECEMBER BOUN SOUANG HEUA (BOAT RACING FESTIVAL)

VENUE: LAMAN DISTRICT                                                                                              

In Sekong, the boat racing festival is a major event and very colourful and competitive. Boat races are held on the Sekong River.