Lao New Year in the eyes of international tourists

Unique cultural festivals during Bun Pi May

Bun Pi May is the most important traditional festival of the Lao people, meaning to welcome the new year and wash away the bad luck of the old year. The festival takes place in April or May of the solar calendar, coinciding with the time when Dok Khun flowers (Muong Hoang Yen) bloom.

Bun Pi May is celebrated by Lao people with many unique traditional rituals, expressing their cultural and spiritual beauty, typically the Water Splashing Festival and wrist tying.

The water-splashing custom is the most typical activity of Bun Pi May, symbolizing purification, washing away bad luck and praying for good things in the new year. The more water is splashed on the person, the more drenched their clothes are, the happier they are because they believe they will have good luck in the year, and at the same time, it is also proof that they are loved by many people. International tourists often enjoy this activity and consider it an unforgettable experience.

International tourists experience the Water Festival. (Illustration photo)

Wrist-tying is a spiritual custom that has long been associated with the lives of Lao people; becoming an indispensable cultural feature in the lives of the entire nation; with the meaning of bringing peace and luck to the person whose wrist is tied. They tie colored threads and send wishes of happiness and health to the person whose wrist is tied. This custom, although simple, deeply reflects the gentle character of the Lao people. They never pray for themselves but only pray for others, because according to them, when they do something good for others, that good will also come to them. During Tet, whoever has the most wrist-tying threads is considered to be the one who will have good luck all year.

Wrist tying ceremony during traditional Tet holiday. (Illustration photo)

Traditional dishes during Lao New Year

The traditional dish during the Lao New Year Bunpimay is Lap, a dish made from pork, chicken or beef and especially indispensable is sticky rice powder. Lap in Lao means luck. The name itself implies the great significance of this dish in the culinary life of the Lao people. Not as colorful as the Vietnamese sticky rice dish, nor as elaborate as other traditional Lao dishes, Lap is as simple as the peaceful wishes of the people here in life.

Traditional dish during Tet holiday Bun Pi May. (Illustration photo)

Cultural beauty and good qualities of Lao people

Bun Pi May is not only a festival to welcome the new year, but also an opportunity for Lao people to express their cultural beauty and good qualities. That beauty is expressed through traditional customs, rituals, lifestyle and behavior of the people here.

From cleaning the house, decorating the house with Champa flowers, Royal Poinciana flowers, to bathing Buddha statues, wrist tying ceremony, animal release ceremony, blessing ceremony for parents and grandparents... all show respect, gratitude and wishes for a new year of peace and prosperity.

The Bun Pi May Festival is also an opportunity for Lao people to show their solidarity and mutual love. They splash water together to pray for luck, health and peace. They also share traditional dishes with each other and participate in recreational activities, creating a bustling and joyful atmosphere.

The cultural beauty and good qualities of Lao people during Bun Pi May have been known and appreciated by international friends. This is one of the factors contributing to promoting the image of Laos to the world, attracting tourists and promoting cultural exchange between countries.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/tet-cua-nguoi-lao-trong-mat-du-khach-quoc-te-313468.html