| Festivals Celebrated in Luang Prabang |
| Although the majority of Festivals (Boun) celebrated throughout the year have been incorporated into Buddhist ceremonies and symbiotically timed to the Buddhist calendar, most are pre-existing festivals which incorporated mythical and indigenous elements. |
| January |
| Boun Khoun Khao |
| A harvest festival with ceremonial offerings to the spirit of the land. |
| February |
| Boun Khao Chi |
| Ceremonial offerings of a special sticky rice loaf are made at the wat. |
| March |
| Boun Phra Vet |
| A three-day festival which commemorates King Vessanthara's reincarnation as the Buddha. |
| April |
| Boun Pi Mai |
| The essence of the New Year Festival is purification and renewal demonstrated by the aspersion of Buddha images and by the arrival of rain. |
| May |
| Boun Visakhabuxa |
| A ceremonial celebration of the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death. Respect is also paid to ancestors with sermons and an evening candlelit procession. |
| Boun Bang Fai |
| Held at the beginning of the agricultural season, a religious ceremony is followed by the launch of large, creatively designed, handmade rockets in a call for rain and a celebration of fertility. |
| July |
| Boun Khao Phansa |
| The ceremonial commencement of Buddhist lent, a three-month period during which monks spend the majority of their time in prayer and meditation. |
| August/September |
| Boun Khao Padabdinh and Boun Khao Salak |
| Special offerings are made to the deceased. The annual boat race festival (Boun Souang Heua) is also held during this period along the Mekong River. |
| October |
| Boun Ok Pansa |
| The ceremonial conclusion of Buddhist lent begins with offerings made at the wat in the morning. A procession commences to Wat Xieng Thong and the ceremonial steps to the Mekong River where, in the evening, small candlelit offerings are set adrift. The following day, offerings are made to the fifteen local guardian nagas. |
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Laos. Festivals Celebrated in Luang Prabang