There is a wonderful Traditional Tet Bunpimay in Laos which is celebrated from April 13th to April 15th. Like the people of Thailand and Cambodia, the Bunpimay festival is meant to bring coolness, prosperity to all things, happiness, and purity. Bunpimay is an opportunity to nurture and cultivate national art.
Traditional Tet Bunpimay in Laos
Usually, traditional Tet Bunpimay in Laos takes place during the fifth month of the Buddhist calendar. This festival starts on the sixth day of the fifth month and ends on the fifth day of the sixth month. The main holiday Wun Salong which is included in this traditional festival is celebrated on the occasion of the Lunar New Year full moon.
Traditional Tet Bunpimay in Laos is celebrated in 3 days. However, the festival will start on the last day with many jubilant activities everywhere. Because the first day is also the last day of the old year, people clean the house in the alley. The second day is not counted because it is the time between the old and new Years. Lao people have the day off during these three days, neither work nor do business activities. Let’s find out with Go Travel!
Some folkways in traditional Tet Bunpimay
Flashing water
On the festival’s first day, people clean the house and prepare the scented water and flowers. Scented water is mixed with water, turmeric, grilled locust, flowers, and aromatic oils. After that, people bring the Buddha image to a separate room for three days and open the door so that everyone can enter and bathe the Buddha. Scented water after being watered on the Buddha statues will be collected and brought back to the house to give strength to the benefactor.
To show respect, young people splash water on the elders to wish them long life and prosperity. They not only splash water on people but also on houses, objects of worship, animals, and tools of production. Lao people believe that water will help wash away diseases and wish the new year a healthy life. Whoever gets wet a lot is much happier.
Release animals
Liberalization is a beauty of religious culture, the thoughts that come from the bottom of each person’s heart when they meet animals whose fate is about to endanger the life of the creature in order to be able to survive. prolonging the lifetime of that organism, the rope can be considered as an action to free, release, and save the life of the organism.
Animals such as turtles, fish, crabs, birds, eels, and other small animals are released. It is believed that during Tet even animals need to be free. Some people release animals in quantities that match the age of the animal.
Pluck fresh flowers
In the Traditional Tet Bunpimay in Laos, the abbot guides the monks, nuns and villagers to pick fresh flowers and bring them back to the temple to worship the Buddha. While picking flowers, people play drums and traditional musical instruments. Others brought water to wash the flowers. This shows how much people appreciated their life in Traditional Tet Bunpimay in Laos.
Eat Lap dishes
During Tet, Lao people pay great attention to eating Lap, especially entrepreneurs. In the language of this country, Lap means fortune. Lap here is usually made from fresh chicken or beef and then mixed with spices. In every family, the chefs often make lap dishes very elaborately. If this dish is not delicious on New Year’s Day, they often liken the New Year’s business to many unlucky omens.
If it’s your first time trying Lap, you may be shocked by the characteristic strong and spicy flavor that rushes to your nose. But as long as you eat it with a piece of sticky rice, that pungent taste seems to disappear. Therefore, sticky rice and Lap cannot be separated. Two dishes with two completely different flavors, one rich and one ethereal, one passionate and one sweet, but when combined, they give us a surprisingly delicious taste.
Other folkways
In this Traditional Tet Bunpimay in Laos, people often give clothes and towels to the elderly. Boat racing is held on the river. There are processions in all localities, but the most famous is the Nangsangkhane procession in the ancient capital of Luang Prabang, with seven girls playing the role of seven children of Kabinlaphom.
In the evening, people gather at the temple to have fun, perform traditional music, and dance. If a village places a Buddha statue in a mountain cave, the Buddha bathing ceremony is called Song Namphaphou. Monks and villagers have lunch right at the mountain after the ceremony.
If you want to come to Laos in April, it’s a perfect chance for you to experience this Traditional Tet Bunpimay in Laos. However, you can contact Go Travel whenever you need support!
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