Lao New Year is celebrated at the same time each year (April 14-16). This year, the 16th is the first day of the New Year.
On the 13th, Buddha images are taken out of the temples to be cleansed
with scented water by devotees, and placed on special temporary altars
within the compounds of “wats” (temples).
Devotees gather the scented water falling off the images, to take home
and use it to pour on friends and relatives, as an act of cleansing and
purification before entering the New Year. On the evening of the 15th,
the images are returned to their proper shriners within the temples.
Boun Pi Mai is a time for much joyous celebration, with good deeds and prayers in anticipation the New Year.
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