When Is Lao New Year: The traditional New Year in Laos is marked by the lively and culturally important Lao New Year holiday, which is also called Pi Mai or Songkran in the Lao calendar.
This happy event usually takes place in the middle of April, which is when the sun moves into the sign Aries. The Lao New Year has a lot of historical and cultural meanings. It includes church ceremonies, group celebrations, and symbolic rites.
The celebrations will last three days, and each day will have a different event that shows off Laos’s rich cultural history. Water is an important part of the celebrations because it represents getting rid of the old year and starting over with new hope and happiness. Lao New Year is a time to think, feel better, and improve ties between family and community. It’s also a happy time to celebrate with friends and family.
We will look at the heart of the Lao New Year, focusing on its cultural importance and the unique traditions that make it such an important part of Lao culture.
When is Lao New Year?
“Songkran” or “Pii Mai” are other names for Lao New Year. It is a three-day state holiday that marks the start of the traditional solar new year. This holiday, which is usually celebrated on April 13th or 14th, comes from traditions that people in India and other parts of Asia used to follow.
The Lao New Year happens on the same day that the sun moves into Aries, the zodiac sign of the Ram. Aries has long been linked to the Spring Equinox. The Vernal Equinox and the sun’s entry into Aries used to be even closer together. But over the last 25,000 years, precession has changed this relationship, making the Earth spin on its axis. This alignment of the stars is still one of the most important cultural and scientific links to Lao New Year.
The three days of Lao New Year (Pi Mai Lao)
The celebration of the Lao New Year starts on the last day of the previous year. For the party, water, flowers, and scents are carefully set up.
One unusual thing that temples all over the country do is move Buddha statues around on the temple grounds so that locals can easily sprinkle them with fragrant water. Before the Lao New Year, people take the water that flows from Buddha statues and bring it home to bless, clean, and bless their friends, family, and other people they know.
On the second day of the party, which is called the “day of no day,” there is no new year. On this day, people usually clean their homes and neighborhoods really well. Older people tell younger people not to sleep so they don’t get sick next year. Instead, they encourage young people to do things like cleaning up their area, dousing older people with water, and having happy gatherings, which means getting rid of bad energies from the past year.
When the holiday is over, the new year truly starts. A lot of families hold Baci ceremonies at home to celebrate the Lao New Year and wish their parents a long and healthy life. It’s also a chance to show appreciation for older people by giving them thoughtful gifts and asking for forgiveness for any mistakes you made by accident the previous year.
Pi Mai Lao in Luang Prabang
In Luang Prabang, Pi Mai Lao is especially colorful, with parties and parades that last for at least a week. Young men carry the revered statue of the Prabang Buddha through the streets on two long poles that hold up a beautiful golden house. Mythological figures Pou Gneu and Gna Gneu (Grandpa and Grandma Gneu), who have red faces, lead this beautiful parade. The statue rests at Wat May temple during the three-day event. At the end of the procession, flowers are traditionally sprayed into the water.
The Nang Sangkhane pageant in Luang Prabang is held every year with seven candidates who represent King Kabinlaphom’s seven children. Sometimes, they even ride animals through the streets.
At night, there are beautiful Naga processions with lanterns and traditional acts. Celebrate the Lao New Year with Souksan Van Pi Mai or Sabaidee Pi Mai. Remember to wish them well and remember to smile while you’re in the water.
Where to Celebrate Lao New Year?
The New Year celebrations in Luang Prabang last for about a week and include many events, such as music, parades, beauty pageants, and more.
A religious event of great importance is a march through the streets led by a beautiful golden palanquin holding the Prabang Buddha. In Laos, this Buddha figure is very important to the religion because it represents the country’s rightful leaders. A lot of monks follow the two red-faced mythical figures, who are called Pou Gneu and Gna Gneu, which means “grandpa and grandma ancestors” in Lao. The holy statue is put down at Wat May at the end of the parade and stays there for three days.
The Nang Sangkhane beauty show is fun because it has seven contestants, and each one is a daughter of King Kabinlaphom.
As night falls, more processions and traditional shows happen, making Luang Prabang a lively and culturally rich place to be.
History of Lao New Year
The Khmer and Mon Burmese people share an old custom that led to the Pi Mai celebration. The most important astrological event of the year, the sun moving into the sign of Aries, is celebrated on New Year’s Eve.
This habit has changed because of the Hindu Calendar, which is based on the sidereal year and shows how the sun moves in relation to the stars. In the past, the equinox happened at the same time that the sun moved into Aries. At the moment, this takes place around April 18.
People say that the Pi Mai event began when the legendary king Thao Kabinlaphrom was about to be put to death for losing a bet. People thought that the world would end if his chopped head hit the ground, so the stakes were very high. In order to stop bad things from happening, his seven children took his head to Mount Sumeru. At the ceremonies, the story of how the girls took turns taking care of the head is still told.
Why is Lao New Year in April?
Lao New Year is widely celebrated festival in Laos. The festival is also celebrated by the Lao in Australia, Canada, France, the UK and the US. Lao New Year takes place in April, the hottest time of the year in Laos, which is also the start of the monsoon season.
The holiday is called Pi Mai or Songkran in Laos. Laos’s warm season starts at the same time as the Lao New Year. Over three days, there are different events every day.
A lot of people see the start of a new year as a chance to let go of the old and accept the new. So, water is used to clean Buddha statues, which has a very important symbolic meaning in Lao society. As part of the gatherings, people often splash water at each other.
The Khmer and Mon Burmese people share an old custom that led to the Pi Mai celebration. The New Year’s party happens at the same time that the sun moves into the constellation Aries, which is the most important astrological event of the year.
Is Thai and Lao New Year the same?
The Thai, Lao, and Cambodian New Year are from April 13 to April 16. Because they are both Khmer, the way they celebrate the new year is the same. But every holiday has its rituals and ways of doing things, like Boun Pi Mai, Songkran, and Chaul Chnam Thmey.
There are a lot of similarities between Thai and Lao New Year, but they are also very different cultural events. Songkran, the Thai New Year, and Pi Mai, the Lao New Year, both happen around the same time, around the middle of April, when the sun moves into Aries.
One big thing that both Pi Mai and Songkran have in common is that water is used a lot. These ceremonies mark the end of the old year and the beginning of the new one.
Each event has its cultural differences. Thailand and Laos may have different routines, traditions, and ideas about what certain actions mean. Even though many celebrations share themes like rebirth, purity, and the beginning of a new year, it is important to recognize and honor the unique cultural aspects of each one.
How long does Lao New Year last?
Happy New Year! Lao New Year is celebrated annually in mid-April and is known as “Pi Mai” in Lao. In Luang Prabang, the celebration usually lasts for three days, starting on April 14th and ending on April 16th.
The end of the previous year is remembered as the first day of celebrations. Flowers, scents, and water are being made ready for the Lao New Year. Carefully taken from their usual spots, Buddha statues are briefly moved within Wat (temple) grounds across the country so that villagers can sprinkle them with fragrant water.
Over in Laos, this is the day between the Old and New years. It is called the “day of no day.” On this day, people usually clean their homes and neighborhoods really well. Older people usually tell younger people not to sleep on this day because they think they will get sick in the next year.
The new year starts on the last day of the celebration. A lot of families celebrate the Lao New Year at home with a Baci rite and wish their parents a long and healthy life. Around this time, people may ask elders to forgive any mistakes they made the previous year, and they may show their love by giving them gifts.
What is Laos New Year called?
Pi Mai Lao or Lao New Year is the liveliest holiday of the year and one that everyone looks forward to, as it is a time when many people visit their families all over the country.
The Lao New Year, which is called Pi Mai or Songkran in Lao, will take place from April 13 to April 16, 2024. For these three days, during the hot season, there are different events every day.
A fresh start to the year is seen as a chance to let go of the old and welcome the new. A lot of things have meaning in Lao society when it comes to water. During the festivals, people use water to clean Buddha statues and take showers.
Luang Prabang has celebrations for more than a week for the New Year. There is a parade, beauty pageants, music, and other events. Lao New Year is a complicated holiday, but all of these fun and different activities make it even more so. They also create a happy atmosphere full of cultural meaning and group happiness.
What is Laos traditions?
Lao custom dictates that women must wear the distinctive phaa sin , a long, patterned skirt, although tribal groups often have their own clothing. The conical Vietnamese-style hat is also a common sight. These days men dress Western style and only don the phaa biang sash on ceremonial occasions.
Laos is officially a Buddhist country, and the hammer and sickle is no longer the country’s symbol. Instead, it is the golden stupa of Pha That Luang in Vientiane. Still, some animism is present, especially in the basic rite (also called basic). Lao people do this rite to connect their 32 guardian spirits to their bodies. It is usually done before a long trip, major medical recovery, childbirth, or other event that will change their lives.
Lao women are expected to wear the traditional phaa sin, a long skirt with patterns, even though clothes from other ethnic groups are often on show. People in Vietnam often wear the famous conical hat. Men wear Western clothes most of the time these days and only wear the traditional phase biang sash on important events. Women are dressing more and more like women in the West, but “phaa sin” is still needed at government offices for both workers and Lao women who are just visiting.
In Laos, the middle of summer is Lao New Year, which is also called Pi Mai or Songkran. It is a very colorful and culturally rich holiday. With different events every day for three days, the party is a chance to say goodbye to the past and hello to a bright future. Water is important in Lao society because it stands for things. It is used to wash Buddha statues and pour water on people at festivals.
Pi Mai comes from the ceremonies of the Khmer and Mon groups in Myanmar. The holiday happens at the same time that the sun moves into the constellation Aries, which is a very important event in astrology. In the past, the event was held at certain times based on the Hindu Calendar and its link to the sidereal year.
The story of Thao Kabinlaphrom, a legendary king whose death led to the creation of the holiday, gives the celebrations of Pi Mai a mythical and symbolic quality. This story from a long time ago is still told today. It shows how rich and consistent Lao New Year customs are, which is why the Lao people value and honor the holiday.
