margsgapyear: Pi Mai - Lao New Year

PI MAI LAO - LAO NEW YEAR

Called Songkran or Pi Mai Lao. In 2016, Lao New Year is from the 13^th to 16^th 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 1^st 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.

Sand[edit]

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[edit]

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.