PIMAY LAOs
You
are invited to Lao ultimate party known as Pimay Laos – Lao New Year.
This three days
event fall on the 13th, 14th and 15th of April of every calendar year.
So what do we at New Year’s Day?
Traditionally
this is the time for spring cleansing.
We cleanse house, clothes, bed, and everything else.
Holy water is used to rinse bad spirit from body, mind and soul.
Get rid off those bad omen and misfortune from the previous year. With pure spirit, mind and body combined with good blessing
hopefully the coming next will be even proper and in good health.
As
April is hot in Laos so it is refreshing to be doused with water that we
also consider as cleansing or purifying element. We use water or performed
water to cleanse Buddha images, after they offer alms to the monks and
sprinkle of each other during our New Year festival. We believe that with
our body clean and our spirit purified we can look forward to a Happy,
Peaceful and Prosperous New Year.
Forgiveness
is another important aspect of this great event. Son and daughter will pay homage to parents and elders and
tie white strings around each other wrists to say “Happy New Year”.
Alms
giving simple known as takbath are another daily ritual. Giving is a way of life for every Laotians.
On New Year Day most people go to temple to takbath by giving food
monk. Free live birds or fish
is becoming very popular among temple goers.
Talking
of food this is definitely a festive season therefore there are plenty of.
This is also a time to catch with friends.
Party is usually organised at home.
But the mother of all parties is at temple.
What sort of food do we eat at New Year’s Day?
For many people, Larb is just simply another one of famous Lao
dishes. Larb mean luck or fortune.
Larb is a special dish. Yes,
the more you have Larb the more you have good luck and fortune.
Enjoys eating.
What
about entertainment?
This is the place where Laos harvest new generations of artists.
There are stages for pop/rock, Lum Leung, Lumvomg, Morekhene.
As for me I love enjoy dancing to traditional folk music suck as Kup
toom, Kup Xiengkkuaong, Lum Putai, Lum Kornswan, Lum Salavan or
Lum
Syphandone.
Have a prosperous New Year Every One.
Lao New Year,
Why in April?
Why do we celebrate Lao New Year in April?
It is not easy to explain why some countries in South East
Asia such as Burma, Cambodia, Lao, Thailand and even Sri Lanka, have chosen
April the 13th as the beginning of their new years celebrations.
In Laos we celebrate new year for three days which fall on
the 13th, 14th and 15th of April. According to Lao astrological calculations,
the sun made a complete revolution around the earth about the 13th of April
which we consider as the last day of the year (known as “Mur Sangkhane Pai or “Luang”),
the 14th as the day between the old and new year ( known as “Mur Sangkhane Nao”)
and the 15th as the new Year’s Day (Known as “Mur Sangkhane Khun”).
We perform different activities on each day, such as
spring cleaning, wash our hair, build sand mounds, free live birds or fish on
the first day of the festival. On the second day we visit friends or go to the
temple to cleanse Buddha images. On the third day or New year’s Day, we offer
food to the monks, listen to Buddha talk or sermon, eat a special dish called “LARB”
to bring good luck, pay homage to our parents and elders and tie white strings
around each other wrists to say “Happy New Year”. We also wish each other good
health by sprinkling water on each other. However, young people sprinkle by the
buckets! In Australia, many Lao-Australian still perform the activities
mentioned.
Why de we build sand mounds?
It was believed that if we could repay our parents with
gratitudes we would be very lucky. One way of showing this was to build sand
mounds. By doing so, we would receive as much luck as many grains of sand.
It was also believed that if a married couple wished to
have children they should build little mounds around the big one.
Why do tie white strings around the wrists?
The colour white of the strings is meant for purity. The
strings are comparable to greeting cards which are commonly used in Western
cultures with written, happy or sad messages within. Our wishes are formulated
orally and vary depending on the occasion whilst we tie the strings around the
wrists. We usually tie three knots and the strings are to be worn for three days
in order for the wishes to be effective. The ceremony of tying the strings
around the wrists is called the “Basi” or “ Soukhouane” ceremony which is
performed on different occasions such as weddings, new Year, house blessings,
birthdays and farewells.
Why do sprinkle water on each other?
As April is hot in Laos so it is refreshing to be doused
with water which we also consider as cleansing or purifying element. We use
water or performed water to cleanse Buddha images, to bless newly wed couples
after they offer alms to the monks and sprinkle of each other during our New
Year festival. We believe that with our body clean and our spirit purified we
can look forward to a Happy, Peaceful and Prosperous new Year!
Prayortkeo Temple, Sydney
Wat Prayortkeo Lao Buddhist
Temple
711-715 Smithfield Road, EDENSOR PARK
Here are some pictures at Lao temple during New Year
The place where Buddha Images
cleansed.
Buddha Images at the temple.
Sang Si
It is not easy to explain why some countries in Southeast
Asia, such as Burma, Combodia, Laos and Thailand, and even Sri Lanka, have
chosen April the 13th as the beginning of their new year.
However, according to nature, April is the beginning of
the hot season in those countries. In summer, many trees and their leaves, and
not long after new leaves rill shoot and begin their lives. And so the old ends
and the new begins.
The hot season is also the time when most farmers are free
from works, and therefore, it is the time for celebrations and other religious
activities. Perhaps, it is because of this happy change that the new year begins
in the South and Southeast Asia. Traditionally, twelve years is called a cycle.
It starts from the year of the Rat, and then the Cow, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon,
Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and the Pig. 2000 is the year of
Dragon.
One day, Kapila Brahma, one of the biggest gods in heaven
came down to test a boy’s wisdom (the boy is a rich man’s son, and his name was
Dhammapala). "In the morning, in the day time and at night time where is Siri (
the biggest blessing in a human being) to be found ?"
Along with this question, the god made a strange gamble.
He said that if Dhammapala could not answer, within one week, he would cut the
boy’s head off. However, on the other hand. If he could answer, then Kapila
Brahma would cut his own head off.
Dhammapala was worried, he only had one week to find the
answer. And tried as he may, he could not think of it. Just one day before the
deadline, he was walking through the forest and rested under a palm tree. Up in
the tree lived cultures, a man and his son, and they were conversing. "Where
shall we go for our meal tomorrow? asked the son. "We don’t have to go far,"
replied the father. "Dhammapala, the rich man’s son will be killed for not being
able to answer the god’s question." What question?" as the son. "Do you know the
answer?"
Yes, it is very easy", answer the father, According to
Brahmanisn, Siri in the morning stays on the face. That is why the morning the
people wash their faces. In the afternoon, Siri stays on the hold body. That is
why they bathe all over. And at night it stays on the feet, that is why people
clean feet before they go to bed."
Having heard this conversation, Dhammapala was very happy.
And in the following morning he gave Kapila Brahma the correct answer. True to
his word, Kapila Brahma cut off his own head. But before killing himself, he
called for his seven daughters to take care of his head, because it fell on
earth, the whole planet would catch fire, causing untold calamity to all living
beings. And if it fell in the ocean, the great ocean would dry up.
He told his daughters to place his head in the Khandbuli
cave of Mount Krailas. And once a year, they were to come out of heavens to
bathe it and to parade it around Mount Sumeru. He said that if they took care in
his manner, there would be peace and prosperity in the world.
When the Laotians, the Thai and the Cambodians hold this
traditional new year parade, the procession is led by the seven daughters of
Kapila Brahma. Depending on the day of the week that new year’s day falls, the
girls whose name falls on that day, will lead the parade. The names of the seven
daughters, in order of birth, corresponding with the days of the week are as
follows:
|
Khorad Dewee |
Monday |
|
Haksod DEwee |
Tuesday |
|
Montha Dewee |
Wednesday |
|
Karinee Dewee |
Thursday |
|
Kamitha Dewee |
Friday |
|
Mahothone Dewee |
Saturday |
|
Thongsa Dewee |
Sunday |
Though some of the Buddhist traditions come from
Brahmanism, we do bathe the Buddha images instead and that would bring peace and
prosperity to all beings.
According to some ancient astrology, the following eight
Star Animals have meanings for one’s birthday. These are not to be confused with
the 12 animal cycle of one’s birth year.
To find out your Star Animal for this year, you will have
to count your age backwards starting from the Tiger ( for a male person ) or
from the ox ( for a female person ) and counting that animal as one. The animal
on which you land is your Star Animal for this year. For example, if you were a
male person, 25 years of age of this year, your Star Animal would be Tiger.
After you find out your Star Animal, the meanings for your
Star Animal are written below. Whether the predictions are true or not, is for
you to judge.
1. Rasasy ( a lion-like mythical cat ) One will
gain a high position in terms of authority and opportunity with people at one’s
beck and call. Material and monetary means will be in abundance.
2. Cat (This year you will receive frequent but
small luck. Even if you have an enemy, he/she will not harm you. Be careful with
your finance. You may lose some money.
3. Garuda You will gain victory with satisfaction.
Your enemy will become your friend and you will live in peace.
4. Ox You will live a life of abundance. From mid
year onwards your luck will diminish slightly but it will return by the end of
the year.
5. Elephant Your life will be bright and shiny with
luck and treasure. It is your happiest year and you will receive some news from
far away.
6. Rat Whatever you have, either luck or suffering,
you will only have half of it. The environment will worry you. Take care of your
health.
7. Naga You will have plenty of luck and material
wealth.
at the end of the year you will receive some luck from
someone higher, but take care of your health. You may have stomach problems. If
you are single, you may find a partner.
8 Tiger At the beginning of the year you will have
luck, but at the end of the year you will receive money from someone of the
opposite sex. Be careful of your speech.
