Not just an ideal off-the-beaten-track destination, Laos contains loads of amazing festivals waiting for you to explore. Reflecting its rich culture, history, and religion, most of the celebrations are based on the Buddhist lunar calendar, so the dates may vary from year to year. Here are the TOP 5 most illustrious festivals of the peaceful country!
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Boun Pi Mai Lao (Laos New Year)
Applause from April 13 to April 16, the Boun Pi Mai Lao is the extravagant festival of charming Laos. During the hot summer season, this most celebrated event spans almost 3 official days to an entire week highlighting family, faith, renewal, and revelry.
Buddhists and Locals celebrate Laos’ New Year
Local girls enjoy a great time swimming pool full of foam during the Lao New Year celebration.
The atmosphere during this time is most festive in the heritage city of Luang Prabang. Enchanted with colorful ceremonies, exciting water fights, parades of traditional costumes, and boat races on the Mekong River will offer a unique experience to tourists.
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Boun Suang Heua (Boat Racing Festival)
The festival dates back a hundred thousand years ago, which pays tribute to the naga, mythical snake water deities. It also commemorates the end of the rainy season and the end of the Buddhist Lent.
Villagers take part in exciting boat race on Mekong River.
The magical dawn highlights Dragon Rowing Race on the Mekong River in the city of Vientiane.
Each of the boats belongs to a village, which signifies a team participating in the competition. Both men and women take part in the cultural event as the pride of the village. Known sacred, each boat made from a single big tree shall be cleaned before being presented with offerings to obtain victory when put out once a year for the race.
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Boun Bang Fai (Rocket Festival)
Once a year, the event occurs as the villagers send rockets into the sky to remind the Rain God of his duties and that he and his toad army would sing out when there is enough rain so that the people would know they could plant the rice. Every year the villagers come together to honor the agreement and launch rockets into the sky to ensure that they shall receive the rains needed for rice fields.
Audience watching rocket going to the sky in Rocket festival. This event for celebrate raining season.
Lots of rockets and dancers performing in the festival.
There will be upbeat parties between families as iconic rockets filled with colorful images make their way out onto the street as competitive products. All villagers from every age eagerly wait for the joyous launches and toast success with feasts.
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Boun Lai Hua Fai (Fire Boat Festival)
The festival marks the end of Buddhist Lent. Highlighted with candlelight processions around temples and hundreds of colorful paper lanterns floating on the lustful Mekong River at night is a wonderful sight to witness. It is also a transforming time to behold the UNESCO-listed Sites and Ancient Town charmingly turn into a colorful display of paper lanterns. Usually held in the first two weeks of October, this is a special opportunity for travelers to explore the enchanting Luang Prabang.
People gather around and take pictures of the colorful lanterns during the festival.
Highlighted with candlelight processions around temples and hundreds of colorful paper lanterns.
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Magha Puja
Stated as the second most important Buddhist festival throughout the country. Magha Puja is celebrated on the full moon day of the third lunar month.
The grand and holy festival of Laos, where Buddhists gather around and commemorate respect to the Buddha.
It is the holy event where Buddhists summit and commemorate respect to the Buddha; as they will go to the pagoda to make offerings to the Three Jewels, listen to monks preach, meditate, and do good deeds for the community. Depending on the customs and cultural characteristics of each place, Buddhists have different names and ways of organization.
Monks walk to collect alms and offerings. This procession is held every day in Luang Prabang in the early morning, especially in the Magha Puja festival.
