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Compiled by  Kou Yang and Mike Sayaseng

INTRODUCTION:  

There is a festival in every month of the year in Lao culture; therefore, Lao people have been known to be nice, generous, and friendly because they have many opportunities to entertain during these festivals. However, the most important one is Lao New Year. festival which is observed in mid April every year. According to the lunar calendar, mid April has already been the fifth month; therefore, many people call the Lao New Year festival as the "Fifth-Month Festival." Yet there are many other names like "Boun Pi Mai" or "Boun Song Kan" which mean "New Year Festival," and "Boun Hot Nam" which means "Water Fighting Festival."  

Mostly people celebrate this New Year festival for three days, and during these three days they play with water, and there are other activities as well. People get wet all the time; there are meanings to why people play with water on this special event. 

LEGEND: 

Once upon a time, there were a rich couple who had married for a long time but did not have children of their own to inherit their wealth. So the husband asked his wife to go to the trees and sacred places to worship and to vow and offering of thanks if she were to conceive a son. Her worship and prayers reached the deity who had been living at the second level of paradise. The deity then assigned his son named Visoukam to come down to earth. Visoukam was born to that rich couple and they named him Thammaban. When grown up, Thammaban was a gifted young man and well educated; he was very intelligent and knowledgeable. He had the best military strategies. Within his peers, he had no equal. His reputation was spread not only into all directions of the world, but of the Brahma's heaven as well. It was said that Brahma's heaven was not very high above human beings' world. (Note that there were many levels of heaven and paradise. Brahma's heaven is lower than the paradise of the deity.) One Brahma named Kabilrabrahma was so angry to learn about Thammaban's talents and reputation. Kabilrabrahma said that he was the best among human beings and even among his fellow Brahmas. He decided to come down to earth in order to have a showdown with Thammaban. As soon as he reached the earth, Kabilrabrahma began to use his incantations. All the villagers, except Thammaban, who saw Kabilrabrahma stampeded for fear of him. Kabilrabrahma asked, "Is that you, Thammaban, who is so intelligent that you can always find answers to any questions?" When Kabilrabrahma learned that the only man left in the village was Thammaban, he then started his bet. Kabilrabrahma had three mysteri0us questions for Thammaban. If Thammaban could not find correct answers to those questions his head will be cut off. But if he could answer these questions, he would cut Kabilrabrahma's head off. The three questions were:   

1. Where (what part of the body) lay the good omen in the morning?  

2. Where (what part of the body) lay the good omen at noon? 

3. Where (what part of the body) lay the good omen at night?  

Kabilrabrahma gave Thammaban seven days to ponder over these mysteries. Thammaban was at his wit's end; on the sixth day, the questions were still very: obscure; he did not come up with any answers. He thought his death was inevitable at that time. In despair, he decided to walk into the forest and rested under a big tree. During that time, a couple eagles were discussing where they should look for food the next day. The husband eagle said, "Tomorrow we don't have to go far looking for food because we will have eaten Thammaban." Thammaban who could understand the bird language well was so amazed upon hearing that. He was startled and curi0us with awe to hear more what the couple eagles had to say. The wife eagle proceeded and asked, "Why would he die tomorrow?"   "Because he could not solve Kabilrabrahma's three mysteries," said the husband eagle heedlessly.  The wife eagle was curious to know more in details, she then appealed to her husband for more explanation.  The husband eagle could not resist his wife's wish, he then told her the three mysteries and their corresponding answers as the following:

 1. In the morning, good omen lay on the face because the first thing to do after waking up in the morning was to wash one's face. (Note: Taking a shower in the mornings is not practiced by most Lao people; but washing one's face is very common, and those who go without washing their faces are labeled as being lazy and unsuccessful.)   

2. At noon, good omen lay on the chest because noontime heat was so intense; and in order to feel comfortable, to lower the body temperature, one should anoint water on his chest. (Note: There were no fans and air conditioners, of course, at that time. The intense heat could drive people crazy, so an0inting water on the chest was considered to be a good omen for this made the person calm down and relax. 

3. At night, good omen lay on the feet because before going to bed, one should wash his feet. (Note: At that time people walked on their bare feet, so they are dirty. Going to bed without washing one's feet would soil the beddings which was considered to be a bad omen.)    

Thammaban was so ecstatic to know the answers, and said to himself that he would not die tomorrow which would be the seventh day. Not long after that he fell asleep, and when he woke up, it was the seventh day. To the astonishment of Kabilrabrahma, Thammaban answered all his mysteries correctly. Keeping his promise, Kabilrabrahma agreed to let Thammaban cut his head off. Before his death, Kabilrabrahma summoned his seven daughters and warned them of the potential negative outcomes if his head, after it was cut off, was not properly taken care of; this was due to his supernatural power. He told his daughters if a drop of his blood fell on earth (or if his head fell on earth) there would be fire which would destroy the whole world; if his head fell into the sea, the sea would all dry, and if his head was free in the air, there would be no rains, so people would suffer from drought and famine. He asked his daughters to arrange a golden chalice to hold his head as soon as it was cut off. His daughters took the head and placed it at Prasoumen mountain. Every year on the day the head was cut off, one of the seven daughters would take turn to take care of her father's head, to wash it with scented and flowered water. The daughter who is responsible to wash her father's head in each year has been named Nang Sang Khan (Nang Sang Khan is translated literally as Miss New Year).    

During the New Year time, not only Nang Sang Khan would wash her father's head, but people from all walks of life would wash one another. They believe that to wash one another means to clean bad things away from their bodies, to discard old and bad ideas they had in the past, and to possess all good ominous things anew. It I has been said that Kabilrabrahma's head has been so sacred and that, if Nang Sang Khan does not come to wash the head, it would be drought. During this New Year time, Lao people also wash or bathe the Buddha statues which are thought to be sacred for them.   

TRADITIONAL NEW YEAR ACTIVITIES: 

Before New Year comes, people have saved enough food and fire wood until New Year celebration is over. It is considered to be a bad omen for anyone to mill or pound the rice, to go fishing, and to look for fire wood in the forest during the New Year holidays because during these days people are supposed to have fun, to visit and pay respect to the monks, teachers, and to their elders. Most people have three days to celebrate New Year, but people in some parts of the country have up to seven days. The three days that are observed are given special names as the following:   

• The first day is called "Sang Khan Luang" which means the last day of the year.  

• The second day is called "Mu Nao." This day is thought to be the day between the last day of the old year and first day of the new year. "Mu Nao" is thought to be a bad day, and on this particular day, people are not supposed to travel, to look for food, or to do anything.   

• The third day is called "Sang Khan Khun" which means New Year's Day.

Perhaps the most significant ritual to mark the commencement of New Year activities is the descending of Buddha statues from the shrines. This is to allow people their only one time opportunity in the entire year to water the sacred statues with scented and flowered water. Buddhist monks are also watered with respect. People would go to the temples, make food offerings to the monks for they believe that their offerings will go to the spirits of their dead parents, family members, and relatives. At home people would go with a chalice of five pairs of candles and flowers to their parents, grand parents, and elders, and then prostrate three times in front of them as a symbol of paying respect to them; this is the time when people who feel guilty for having done something to their respected ones to come and ask for an apology. In return, parents, grandparents, and elders always apologize them and bless them as well. People in some areas go to the forest in a large group to pick up some forest flowers and then take to the temple to worship Buddha statues. Many people, males, females, young, and old would form a group; with traditional musical instrument being played, they would sing, dance, drink, and water anybody whom they see along the way. This group of people may stop at anybody's house, and people who live in hat house have to come out and be watered. Some groups may visit sacred places such as a big foot print which they believe to be the foot print of Buddha. Some groups may ride in a car with a big tank full of water; they drive from village and throw water at people along the road. Men prefer to water women and vice versa; and by so d0ing, many people get to know one another well, and they fall in love.    

On the Sang Khan Khun Day, the New Year Day, people perform special events at the temples. They make food offerings to the monks. They have the Baci ceremony which as well as lay people tie the cord around the wrists of one another, and at the same time, they bless and pray so that the entire new year will bring them good luck, prosperity, l0ngevity, and happiness. Since women and monks are not supposed to touch one another, when they tie the cords, they have to be careful and use the rather long ones. People also like to take their young kids to the Baci ceremony and have the monks tied cords around their kids' wrists and blessed them. Some people have the Baci ceremony at their own homes. In the afternoon, people build the sand stupa. Everyone bring a bowl or a bucket of and to the temple yard. They build one big stupa in the middle and many small stupas around the big one. They cut the cloth in the triangle shape to make flags and plug these flags in the stupas. Then there is a ritual to offer these stupas to the monks; then the monks will accept the stupas and bless those stupa builders. To build the sand stupa is considered to earn a lot of merit, the merit that will make the stupa builders very successful in their future or their next lives. The number of stupas that the individual has to build (in fact, he will just add a little bit of his sand to the already built stupas) is one more than his age. For example, if he is 20 years old, he will have to build 21 stupas. This practice is believed to ask for longevity. At night people gather in a group at the temple holding candles, incense sticks, and flowers. Then the monks will lead this group to circle the pagoda in which sit a huge Buddha statue and other small ones. While circling the pagoda, they pray, they ask for blessing, and they ring the gong. This practice is called  "Vien Tien" which is literally translated as "Circling with candles." Lao people believe that the amount of rain they have every year depends on two factors: First, the number of dragons somewhere in the heaven swimming and playing in the water. Second, how energetic or how much the dragons swim and play in the water. They believe that the dragons give them rain. Every year, traditional astrologers have means to tell people how many dragons will give them rain and how energetic those dragons are. If, for example, they say that this year seven dragons will give them rain, and the dragons are very energetic; this means that they will have more than enough rains they need, and floods are very likely. If they say that there is only one dragon giving them water and it is not energetic, people are upset upon hearing this because they will have a dry year. Most of the time people find that the astrologers are right. There is no ceremony to prevent floods; but here is one to prevent drought, and this ceremony is called Hae Nang Sang Khan which is performed on the Sang Khan Khun Day ---the New Year Day. Nang Sang Khan is one of the seven daughter of Kabilrabrahma who is supposed to wash her father's head every year; and when astrologers predict that there will be drought, they assume that Nang San Khan does not come to wash her father's head as she is supposed to do; therefore, here father's head is dry, and consequently, people will have a dry year. Thus, they have the "Hae Nang Sang Khan" which means the "Processi0n of Nang Sang Khan" ceremony. This ceremony is to make sure that Nang Sang Khan does what she is supposed to do. Astrologers will tell people every year how Nang Sang Khan will come to wash her father's head, such as what animal she rides, what she holds in her hands, and what she eats or drinks. What Nang Sang Khan does on the way to take care of her father's head indicates what will happen to the people. For example, the year of 1987, which, according to the lunar calendar, is the year of rabbit, Nang Sang Khan is a giant and comes to wash her father's head by riding on the back of the boar, holding a spear, and drinking blood. This predicts that unhappy things may occur.   

If the astrologers predict that there would be a drought, and that people have to perform the "Hae Nang San Khan" ceremony, a girl will be selected and dressed like a giant as to represent Nang Sang Khan. She will have to hold a spear and ride on the boar puppet. If nobody is selected to represent Nang Sang Khan, then her picture will be drawn on the cardboard and cut. A group of people will gather in a place and carry the puppet on which Nang Sang Khan sits. Again, they will sing, dance, drink alcohol, play musical instruments, and water one another; anybody can join the group. This group will pick up flowers somewhere available, then go to the temple. They will circle around the pagoda for three times, then place the puppet somewhere 'n the temple yard, and then they will place the flowers in front of Buddha statues in the pagoda for worshipping. "Hae Nang Khan" ceremony is not performed every year, but only the year when drought is anticipated. Again, this ceremony is believed to remind Nang Sang Khan not to forget or not to be late to come and water her father's head, otherwise people will suffer from drought.     

CONCLUSION: 

The Lao people who are known as the gentle, and peace, and festival loving people will probably preserve their rich cultural heritage as they had done in the past. however, the new Year celebration here will be changing to suit the environment and the needs of the Lao Americans who are also in the stage of mainstreaming to the main society.  

Living in the new country, Lao people have gone through a lot of changes in compliance with the new environments and new ways of life. No matter what changes or difficulties they have experienced, Lao people still celebrate their New Year in this new land since it is one of the most 'important events of the year. The celebration may not be as meaningful and enjoyable as it used to be back home, but at least it serves as a commemorate event to keep the traditional values alive. There are many factors that keep the New Year celebration from being popular and enjoyable as it used to be. Because of the new life in the new land, acculturation problems, language and cultural barriers, social and economic difficulties, the inconvenience of time and location, the lack of permanent temple; sacred sites and pagodas, and Buddhist monks and elders to lead the ceremony. Moreover, the lack of materials, costumes, musicians, musical instruments, and folk dancers prevent the Lao community here to show all their cultural New Year Festivities. 

Note: This paper must be taken only as general observations. It may not be applicable to all situations, local customs, and traditions of Lao people.   

The compilers wish to thank the following informants for their input:  

Pra Maha Bounheuang Koummanivong  

Por Tu Charn Thouane Sysavanh  

Mr. Khamdaeng Vongsing

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