Boun Awk Phansa - The Magical Traditional Festival of Laos

Boun Awk Phansa is the celebration of the last day of Buddhist lent. It happens annually in October, three lunar months after Khao Phansa on the 15th day of the 11th month of the lunar calendar.

When Boun Awk Phansa arrives, people line up at temples early in the morning and offer gifts to the monks. There are also candlelight processions around temples, and small decorative boats filled with flowers, lit candles, and incense are set out on the Mekong River. The whole river seems to light up.

Boun Khao Phansa in Laos is the start of the three-month period sometimes referred to as “Buddhist Lent”. Boun Khao Phansa starts on the full moon of the eighth month and runs till the full moon of the eleventh month of the Buddhist Calendar.

During this time period, Buddhist monks stay at a pagoda and focus on meditation and strict observance of their religion. They are especially forbidden from sleeping anywhere else but in their pagoda at night.

On Boun Khao Phansa, people of villages throughout Laos bring food offerings in bowls to the pagoda-bound monks – a practice called “tak bat”. Tak bat means “morning offering”, and indeed, these offerings are brought in the morning hours.

There are other rituals performed by the people and monks on Boun Khao Phansa, such as the blessing of “holy water” which is then poured out onto the earth, candlelight processions around Buddhist temples, and neighbourhood “drumming competitions”.

Here is more detail about Boun Khao Phansa

That said, Awk Phansa marks the end of the Buddhist lent, which originates from Buddhism period called Vassa.

The Vassa is the three-month annual retreat observed by Theravada practitioners. Taking place during the wet season, Vassa lasts for three lunar months, usually from July (the Burmese month of Waso) to October (the Burmese month of Thadingyut). 

In English, Vassa is often glossed as Rains Retreat or Buddhist Lent, the latter by analogy to the Christian Lent (which Vassa predates by at least five centuries).

For the duration of Vassa, monastics remain in one place, typically a monastery or temple grounds. In some monasteries, monks dedicate the Vassa to intensive meditation. Some Buddhist lay people choose to observe Vassa by adopting more ascetic practices, such as giving up meat, alcohol, or smoking. While Vassa is sometimes casually called "Buddhist Lent", others object to this terminology. Commonly, the number of years a monk has spent in monastic life is expressed by counting the number of vassas (or rains) since ordination.

Most Mahayana Buddhists do not observe Vassa, though Vietnamese Thiền and Korean Seon monastics observe an equivalent retreat of three months of intensive practice in one location, a practice also observed in Tibetan Buddhism. 

Vassa begins on the first day of the waning moon of the eighth lunar month, which is the day after Asalha Puja or Asalha Uposatha ("Dhamma day"). It ends on Pavarana, when all monastics come before the sangha and atone for any offense that might have been committed during Vassa.

Vassa is followed by Kathina, a festival in which the laity expresses gratitude to monks. Lay Buddhists bring donations to temples, especially new robes for the monks. 

The Vassa tradition predates the time of Gautama Buddha. It was a long-standing custom for mendicant ascetics in India not to travel during the rainy season as they may unintentionally harm crops, insects or even themselves during their travels. Many Buddhist ascetics live in regions which lack a rainy season. Consequently, there are places where Vassa may not be typically observed.

Here is more detail about Buddhist Lent

When Boun Awk Phansa arrives, people line up at temples early in the morning and offer gifts to the monks. There are also candlelight processions around temples, and small decorative boats filled with flowers, lit candles, and incense are set out on the Mekong River. The whole river seems to light up.

And people also make beautiful paper lanterns and light them up at night in one location. Thus, the sky and the river are set aglow.

Finally, this is also the time of the final boat racing festival in Xieng Nguean (near Luang Prabang) and in Vientiane since the rains will soon stop and the water levels of the Mekong and other rivers recede.

Traditionally, Boun Awk Phansa is a time to honour the “river spirit” of the Mekong. It is thought that sickness, bad luck, and everything negative can be sent away into the river.

Below are the 3 most famous festivals celebrated during Boun Awk Phansa.

On the full moon day at dawn, donations and offerings are made at temples around the country; in the evening, candlelight processions are held around the temples and it is the celebration of "Lai Heua Fai" or "Loi Kra Thong", when everyone sends small lighted ‘boats’ made of banana stems or banana leaves decorated with candles and flowers down the rivers.

These are said to pay respect to the Buddha and to thank the mother of rivers for providing water for our lives. Some believe that the lai heua fai procession is an act to pay respect to Nagas that lives in the rivers, while others send the lighted boats down the river to ask for blessing and to float bad luck of the past year away enabling the good luck to flow in. Most towns with a river bank nearby will engage in this lovely ceremony. In bigger towns there are also processions of lighted boats, and the ceremony is more popular especially among young romantic couples. Villagers who live far from rivers set up model boats (made of banana stems) decorated with flowers and candlelight, while others simply light up some candles in front of their houses and do their little prayer wishing for good luck. These colorful rituals have been carried on by Lao people for thousands of years.

Here is the detail about Boun Lai Heua Fai in Luang Prabang

In addition, the evening of the Awk Phansa day is the day the celebrated Naga fireballs are supposed to appear. The Naga fireballs are a phenomenon peculiar to the Mekong. The Naga is a mythical water dragon believed to live in the Mekong and on the night of 15th day of 11th month in the Lao lunar calendar at the end of Buddhist Lent, he is supposed to shoot up pink-red fireballs to signify the occasion. Some believe, while others doubt they are real.  

Still today there is a festival surrounding this time and certain areas of both the Thai and Lao sides of the river are packed out with willing sightseers, who also take the time to enjoy the multitude of food and drink stands which spring up to cater for them during their wait.

This extraordinary phenomenon occurs in the area of the Mekong River stretching over 20km between Pak-Ngeum district, about 80km south of the Lao capital Vientiane, and Phonephisai district in Nong Khai province, Thailand.  In Laos you can hire a private taxi or truck to take you and from the site, but be prepared for traffic jams and crowds.

The day of the boat racing festival in Vientiane is spectacular. This year (2018), the Awk Phansa festival day (the day the Buddhist lent ends) falls on the 24th October and the Vientiane boat racing day is on the 25th.

The town comes alive with noise and festivity as the teams make their way to the river either by truck or walking, banging drums and singing. The races start around 9am when the heats kick off. Thousands of spectators cram along the river banks and cheer their teams. The streets are lined with food stalls, sideshows where you can win small prizes and stalls selling all manner of clothes and other items.

The final happens around mid-afternoon, by which time everyone is normally quite merry.

Here is the detail about Boun Suang Heua – Boat Racing Festival in Laos

Like other festival in Laos, Boun Awk Phansa follows the lunar calendar of Laos, so the date in Gregorian calendar changes every year.

To help you better plan your journey, here is the date until 2024 for your reference.