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Cultural performances, food, music, & Miss Lao New Year Pageantry on Saturday and Parade for winner on Sunday.
$10 per person admission each day.
After 4pm Free Admission.
Wait, wasn’t Lao New Year in April? Yes.
Officially it falls on the second week of April every year, however New Englanders live in a cold climate, so we want to make sure people aren’t getting hypothermia during the water festival!
Be MINDFUL to practice DAY 1 (April 12th) of this list in your warm and comfy home!
For April 2024, it will be the Year 2567, but Lao New Year 2567 will be celebrated at Wat Lao Buddhovath of Rhode Island in May 2024.
How is Lao New Year Celebrated?
Day one
PLEASE NOTE: Celebrated on April 12th is Day before new year (Observed). April 13th is Day of. (Observed) April 14th is in the New Year (Observed). For the last day of the old new year, Statues of Buddha images are cleaned with water and people throw water at each other, to 'wash away' any bad will that related to the past year.
Here at the temple, located in a temperate, cold environment, washing of monks (Hod Phra) and festival goers for the water festival, it has been wisely pushed to warmer months so that everyone can participate in comfort.
Day two (Saturday May 18th Rhode Island) Miss Lao New Year Pageantry
The second day is known as the 'day of no day", a day that falls in neither the old year or the new year.
The beginning of the day sees the monks and getting blessings by placing food donations into alms bowls at the main Anumodāna Sālā Hall. Then the laypersons will do other ceremonial actions such as placing flags in sand piles to signify who they'll be surrounded by in their next rebirth. Also washing the Buddha statues (Hod Phra) with blessed water.
“Water fights” (Hod Nam Langk) can occur at any time! So enjoy the gesture of washing aways your previous year's misfortunes/karma.
At the Hān Lavong (Entertainment/Cultural Field) the Pageant is linked to a story of a Brahma God who challenged a genius kid who solved a riddle. If the boy wins, then God will lose his head. If the boy lost, his life would be forfeit. Ultimately the God lost and had his head decapitated. He had 7 daughters to keep and uphold his decapitated head from being soiled, which would result in innumerable disasters.
The winner of the Pageant displays their virtue of modesty and speech and keeping family values.
Day three (Sunday May 19th Rhode Island)
The start is identical to the previous day.
Then the parade for the Pageant winner and contestants driving a float around the temple's grounds where everyone (except monks) joins to make music and congratulate the winner and take pictures of all contestants.