End of Buddhist Lent and Fireboat Festival

As Buddhism is the main religion in Laos, we got off from work October 7th, which is the day that marks the end of Buddhist Lent. My friend Elly (and former coworker at PwC) is in South East Asia for three months teaching English and she is currently in Luang Prabang! So to kick off the end of Buddhist Lent, we got up super early in the morning (5am) to get downtown to watch the giving of the alms to the monks. This happens every morning in Laos, but since this is a major holiday for them we knew it would be an even bigger event.

Based on things I've read and heard here, it is best to stay a respectful distance away from the alms giving ceremony.  Some tourists think its a good idea to get right in the monks faces to take pictures, and others have bought and given inappropriate or spoiled food to the monks.  It is also inappropriate for women to touch monks or their buckets where you put the food and you are supposed to dress conservatively.  Since there are so many rules and unspoken cultural do's and dont's, we wanted to make sure we did not offend anyone. Therefore, when Elly and I went we tried to stand either on the other side of the street or far back on the side walk to just observe.  Of course, despite Elly and I trying to be respectful, we did see many tourists giving alms and being that annoying person standing in the monks way as they try to walk and collect their alms.

Me in front of a fire boat float!

The next day, October 8th, is the Fireboat Festival. Leading up to the Fireboat Festival many villages created a large boat out of wood and banana leaves covered in candles, and then on the night of the Fireboat Festival lined them up on the main street for a parade. There were at least 25 boats and each had a small group with them to push the float down the street.  The groups were sometimes a classroom or school with kids in their school uniforms, and others were just a group of friends having fun and playing music while walking down the street.  At the end of the street there was a judging table to decide which boat was most beautiful and wins the prize!


Each temple is also decorated beautifully with thousands of candles and paper lanterns. 

Another aspect of the Fireboat Festival is the lighting of paper lanterns that are like hot air balloons, and as you release them you supposedly release your sins.  

You can also buy little floating banana leaf/flower boats with a candle on it to signify the same thing as you release it onto the Mekong River. 


Elly and I didn't buy any of the lanterns or boats, but we watched everyone light them and send them into the air and river.  It was beautiful seeing the sky full of lights that looked like starts.  The only scary part is when the lanterns blew out they fell down to the ground! We saw a few on the ground, but luckily did not see anyone get hit with one!