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Today is the start of the water festival in Laos and Thailand. This is a story told in Laos to explain why Lao people pour water on each other on the New Year in the fifth Lunar month. The story is called Nang Sangkaan.
The origin of the parade of Nang Sangkaan is not Buddhist, but Brahmanism. Later, Lao people changed the tradition, but kept the idea of carrying the Buddha images and respected persons in the procession and pouring water on them. This video was made for 2009 Lao New Year, and originally posted here.
Video by ArnuShawn
Translated and description by Nye Noona
Narrated by Mr. Akkasith
Photo by Siriphone Shields and Kevin Borland
This is a story told in Laos to explain why Lao people pour water on each other on the New Year in the fifth Lunar month. The story is called Nang Sangkaan.
The origin of the parade of Nang Sangkaan is not Buddhist, but Brahmanism. Later, Lao people changed the tradition, but kept the idea of carrying the Buddha images and respected persons in the procession and pouring water on them. This video was made for last year’s Lao New Year, and originally posted here.
Video by ArnuShawn
Translated and description by Nye Noona
Narrated by Mr. Akkasith
Photo by Siriphone Shields and Kevin Borland
- Music from Thailand & Laos – Luang Prabang Pi Mai
As for the Lao/Thais, the new year has just begun, at Leaps ‘n Bounce, we are moving into the year of the Tiger, a turbulent year and a year of change. I keep telling myself that change is good, and if it doesn’t kill you, it only makes you stronger and sometimes I have to view life from a different perspective.
The Songkran Festival is celebrated in Thailand as the traditional New Year’s Day, which originally was celebrated only in the north of Thailand, and was probably brought there by the Burmese who adapted it from the Indian Holi festival. It is also known as the water festival in Laos and Thailand. The term Songkran comes from Sanskrit ‘Sankranta,’ which means ‘a move or change’ and in this case, the move of the sun into the Aries zodiac.
As for our family, it is a tradition to visit our local Wat (Buddhist Temple) to pay homage to the Lord Buddha and offer food to the monks. These were last year’s photos, I’m hoping to be able to do a video and photos this year.
- Nam Songkran
A tradition of building Jaydee Cide or sand stupas is another thing that I’m looking forward to and it is still very fascinating to me. When you do build one, make sure you make a wish and donate the good merits to your passed loved ones, a remembrance of them on this special day.
Some of the prettiest photos of the longest solar eclipse of the century that cast a wide shadow for several minutes over Asia and the Pacific Ocean Wednesday, luring throngs of people outside to watch the spectacle.
In India, where an eclipse pits science against superstition, thousands took a dip in the Ganges River in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi to cleanse their souls.
In Chinese tradition, there is a story about a heavenly dog eating the sun. As the story goes, people would make noise to scare off the dog and rescue the sun. Source and photos.
As for the Lao and Thai, there is a folklore of the Luna Eclipse, I’m not sure if it also applied to the solar eclipse as well. This picture was taken at the Buddha Park the Spirit City in Laos, it’s believed that during the Luna Eclipse, the moon is being swallowed by the frog as we called it Kop Kin Deuane, loosely translated as frog eats moon, therefore when we were kid, we had to bang our pots and pans to chase the frog away. I think we would have done the same thing with the solar eclipse.
Pee Mai Lao or Lao New Year falls on April 13-15, 2009
Sok Dee Pee Mai 2552. Happy Lao New Year 2009.
This is a story told in Laos to explain why Lao people pour water on each other on the New Year in the fifth Lunar month. The story is called Nang Sangkaan.
The origin of the parade of Nang Sangkaan is not Buddhist, but Brahmanism. Later, Lao people changed the tradition, but kept the idea of carrying the Buddha images and respected persons in the procession and pouring water on them.
Video by ArnuShawn
Translated and description by Nye Noona
Narrated by Mr. Akkasith
Photo by Siriphone Shields and Kevin Borland
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