PI MAI LAO - LAO NEW YEAR
Called Songkran or Pi Mai Lao. In 2016, Lao New Year is from the 13th to 16th of April. April is one of the hottest and driest months of the year. Pi Mai Lao is near the beginning of the rainy season and the time when daytime becomes longer than night time. I think it might be the most important celebration in the Lao Buddhist calendar.
Before New Year, there is a beauty contest, Nang Sangkhan, to choose Miss Pimai Lao and the 7 daughters of Kabiliphom who will sit on the Nang Sankhanes float in the New Year Procession.
During the days of Pi Mai there are a number of processions down the main street between That Luang and Wat Xieng Thong. The whole town also goes crazy with water fights. People have huge tubs of water at the front of their homes and throw scoops of water over anyone who comes near. Others drive around with drums of water in the back of their utes throwing water over all and sundry.
These photos are from the beautiful procession from Wat Xieng Thong to That Luang. Miss Pi Mai Lao and the other daughters of Kabiliphom are on a float. Many temples are represented, and the different ethnic groups take part. It is beautiful, though I did feel concerned that the water fights didn't respect the serious occasion.
These are 3 of the daughters of Kabiliphom.
Miss Pi Mai Lao will ride on the horse beside them.
Miss Pi Mai Lao and Kabiliphoms daughters on the float
Hanuman - waiting for the procession to start
From the Ramiyana
A Hmong young woman
Lao
??Kamu
Kabilophoms head on the Miss Pi Mai Lao float
One of Kabiliphom's 7 daughters
Sangkhan Luang is the first day of Pi Mai Lao
and the last day of the old year. On this day the spirit of the old year leaves. It is a day of renewal and water is a symbol of
renewal. Houses and villages are cleaned, which makes bad spirits leave so that
everyone is ready for a new start. Each
house prepares scented water made with Champa flowers and slices of Khumin
bulb. This water will be used for
washing buddha images in their home and water pouring ceremonies at the
temple.
In the afternoon, young
people pour water on the hands of their elders and ask for their blessing in
the year ahead. This is sometimes followed by a short speech from parents or
grandparents. During the speech, elders give their blessing to their family, as
well as highlighting important family events during the past year, such as
births, deaths or marriages. Some people
make commitments and resolutions for the new year.
Sangkhan Nao is the second day of the
festival and is the "day of no day", It is the day between the old and new years. It is a day of rest and people shouldn’t go
to work, but they shouldn’t sleep during the day.
It is the day to pay homage
early in the day to Phra That Champi on Phousi Mountain. Baci ceremonies may be held and many people
go to their villages to be with their families.
The New Years parade also
happens on this day. Phu ya and Ngu ya
are taken from the shrine near Wat Aham.
Ritual offerings are given and they do a sacred dance at Wat Visoun, Wat
That and Wat Xieng Thong. There is a
procession of monks and novices and a revered monk is carried on a palanquin
Part of the procession is a
float of Nong Sag Khere with Kabilaphoms head and the winner of the beauty
contest with the seven daughters of Kabilipham.
These beautiful girls will wear
traditional costume and musicians will play traditional musical
instruments.
At temples, Monks and Novices
clean the buildings and temple grounds.
A pavilion is built outside and Buddha images are put there under the
“hang ling” a wooden trough carved and decorated with an animal that is ½ naga
and ½ bird and has an elephant trunk.
Buddha images stay there for 3 days to be washed by perfumed water
poured into the trough.
The last
day of the festival is Sangkhan Khun. It is the 1st day of the New Year
and the spirit of the New Year arrives.
The phabang is taken from the palace to Wat Mai and placed in a pavilion
under a water trough for 3 days of water pouring. Prayers for the dead or Sak
Anija is performed at every temple.
Pouring Water.
For respect and best wishes
and long life, the young pour water over the hands of their elders and ask for
their blessings. Friends pour water on
each other.
Stupas
made of sand are built. They may be
built across the Mekong on a sandy beach, or sand may be brought to the temple
grounds. People believe each grain of sand frees the builder of
one sin or bad deed of the past year.
Sand
stupas symbolize the mountain, Phoukhao Kailat, where King Kabinlaphrôm's head
was kept by his seven daughters.
Sand
stupas are decorated with small pheung (paper banners with the 12 animals of
the zodiac on them) flags, flowers,
white lines made with lime powder, and splashed with perfumed water, before
being given to the monks as a way of making merit.
People set free small animals
such as birds, turtles, fish and eels to make merit. The animal takes with it everything bad from
the past.
Flowers
are gathered to decorate Buddha images. In the afternoons
people collect fresh flowers. Senior monks take the younger monks to a garden
filled with flowers, where they pick flowers to bring back to the wat to
wash. People who didn't participate in the flower picking bring baskets to wash
the flowers so the flowers can shine with the Buddha statues. In the evening Lao
people usually go to the temple to worship the Buddhas.
During
Lao New Year, there is much traditional Lao music, molam, and lamvông
(circle dancing). During the daytime almost everybody is at the temple
worshiping, hoping to have a healthier and happier life in the new year. During
the evening, people of all ages go to the Vat for entertainment.
Traditionally, you wish
someone ‘Happy New Year’ (‘Sok Dii Pimai’ or souksan van pi mai or sabaidi pimai, before pouring water over their head,
symbolizing the washing away of sins committed in the past year.
They also make offerings of
flowers and candles.
Baci
For many Lao people, the
belief in kwan (32 spirits which inhabit the human body, as well as animals,
plants and inanimate objects) are an important part of the Lao New Year. On the
first day of the new year, with transition comes the risk of the kwan leaving
the body, exposing them to any number of bad omens. To allow the kwan to return
to the body, a ceremony known as a Baci or Soo Kwan is carried out.
First, offerings are made
with participants sitting around a table. A chant led by an important figure in
the village or family is then repeated collectively to call the kwan to return.
Praticipants then tie white thread around each other’s wrists, symbolically
binding the kwan to the body, while wishing them good fortune in the year
ahead. The ceremony ends by eating a small meal together.
Hmong women
Khmu
Someone from the Ramayana
Time for some serious water fighting before the procession starts
It was pretty hot
Novice Pheng - you can't hide
Can you spot Monk Salurn Xai and Monk Thone?
