Khao Phansaa Date: July 26
Khao Phansaa is a public holiday in Laos.
Khao Phansaa, the indisputably largest festival in Laos, Thailand and marks the beginning of the much awaited rainy season, with warmth and welcome. The festival is colloquially termed as wan khao phan saa , meaning “the of entering of the rainy season”. Thus, starting from that very first showery day of the year, it lasts for a delightful period of 3 consecutive months.
Khao Phansaa History
This grand fiesta, also known as the Rain Retreats, has been traditionally celebrated from long past history. The Lao calendar, being a complete mixture of Sino – Vietnamese calendar and Thai – Khmer calendar depends on both the movements of sun and the moon. Thus, it acquires a totally different genre to the Buddhist calendar, which is used in Thailand. So, in accordance to this calendar, the entire gala starts in April, during the initial days of the monsoon and lasts for 3 lunar months.
This spiritual festival was originated way back in ancient India, during the origination of Buddhism. By then, all pious monks, mendicants and sagacious people used to spend these 3 months of seasonal monsoon inside enduring abode. These holy men used to stay away from needless travelling during this time as they were worried that they might accidentally tramp on the newly harvested paddies, crops and growing plants. Great Lord Buddha dictated that His followers should follow the same noble tradition as well. From then, Buddhist monks are maintaining this ritual pronounced by Lord Buddha and stay inside the Buddhist temples during this auspicious three months and devote themselves to religious study and meditation. Thus this celebration is also known as Buddhist Lent.
During this period of intense spirituality, some followers of Lord Buddha perform some strict regulations, thereby losing habits of consuming alcohol, smoking and giving up meats as well.
Khao Phansaa Traditions and Activities
Vassa is synonymous to the holy Buddhist Lent. This grand celebration starts with offering candles to the monks. All the institutions, schools, collages remain closed, while people of every genre, irrespective of their cast and creed gather up to a grand procession carrying bright multi-coloured candles and approach a monastery were the monks accept the colourful candles offered by them. By this time, people offer various foods, sweets, noodles, rice, and flowers to the monks on a daily basis and participate in different merit-making games like boat races, fireball etc.
This mammoth commemoration, thus, makes it the biggest festival of Thailand, and all the populace irrespective of their communal basics reunite every year, making it a saga to cherish.
Other interesting posts:
- Laos observes Bouk Ok Pansa
- Dharma Day
- Parinirvana is a religious observance for Buddhists
- Buddha’s First Sermon
- Sri Lanka Nikini Full Moon Poya
Other interesting posts:
