12 Things You See At Lao New Year

Fresh off the April portion of our #LNYTour2016 with Tony Innouvong, we've had quite our share celebrating Lao New Year 2559 (recap photos coming soon, promise). Many of the events we've been a part of have varied from an outdoor park festival, a night-time party held in a hall, to morning alms giving inside of a Buddhist wat, yet there are some common core items seen over and over that can only make it uniquely and unmistakably a Lao New Year thing. Read on to see what we saw. Illustrations by Natalie McGarvey.

Water is the most significant symbolism when it comes to celebrating our beloved Lao New Year. It signifies the washing away of the old, bad luck, or sins of yesteryear, while the washing of Buddha statues at the temple is considered an act of good merit. In Laos where temperatures reach scorching levels, getting water poured on you is a cool welcome, although it can sometimes turn into an all-out water festival (so waterproof those phones). Flowers also play an important part in the water splashing. Fragrant petals are used to perfume the blessing water, making for a more pleasant experience, whereas flowers with stems still attached are perfectly sized for flicking water on individuals. Laos' national flower is the plumeria, known in Lao as dok champa, and can be seen in many partygoers wardrobe, whether printed in clothing or made into ornaments such as hair pins, lapels, and other jewelry.

With a new year comes new blessings, and in Lao culture this is primarily done through a special thread tying of the wrists. The ceremony itself is formally called baci, used to celebrate special events such as marriage, homecoming, welcome, birth, and of course annual events like Lao New Year. According to Niphasone Souphom who, with her husband Xai, oversees the Lao Heritage Foundation in the Washington D.C./VA area, “A mother is given a baci after she has recovered from a birth, the sick are given bacis to facilitate a cure, officials are honored by bacis, and novice monks are wished luck with a baci before entering the temple.” The wrist-trying is more commonly referred to as su kwan, which translates to “calling of the soul” symbolizing the tying the soul, or kwan, of the person to them. Xai adds “It is an ancient belief in Laos that the human being is a union of 32 organs and that the kwan watch over and protect each one of them. It is of the utmost consequence that as many kwan as possible are kept together in the body at any one time. Since all kwan is often the attributed cause of an illness, the baci ceremony calls the kwan or souls from wherever they may be roaming, back to the body, secures them in place, and thus re-establishes equilibrium.” The baci can take place at any time, however it’s preferably to have it done before noon or sunset. Usually there is a Mo Pawn, an elder who has studied Buddhism or is a former monk, to preside over the ceremony, although any person may tie a string for another to wish them good health and fortune. The tied string bracelet itself is to be kept on on the wrists for 3 days although some people would wear it until it falls off. Xai warns the threads should be untied as cutting it is considered a bad omen and represents severing the well wishes and bonds tied to you.

Looking to get your soul tied this year? Look for the pa kwan, an elaborately prepared cone-shaped centerpiece which holds all the blessing threads. Typically green and traditionally made of banana leaves, they are adorned with flowers that hold evocative meanings such as dok huck (love) or dok sampi (longevity). White cotton threads are wrapped to a bamboo stick made to look like a flag. The bottom arrangement consists of a dish or bowl, usually silver or gold, in which food is placed. Foods used in the pa kwan also hold symbolic meanings: hard boiled eggs for fertility, rice whisky for purification, and sometimes a boiled whole chicken with head and feet with claws for divination purposes. Pa kwan designs will also vary based on who prepares them, usually an elder, but their dazzling appearances call attention to wherever they are placed, which becomes the central location for people to gather around.

Although duk baht, or giving alms is practiced all year round, Lao New Year seems to be an especially important date. Giving food to monks for their daily meal counts as an act of good deed, so doing this on New Year gets you an early start. Being prepared means waking up early to catch the monks, having enough food to pass around and carrying it all in your kun, or offering bowl. Made of aluminum, it comes in gold or silver, the bowl has a stand attached to it and looks sort of like a giant goblet. Often designed with intricate details, this traditional Lao cultural item is sized to store sticky rice, fruits, snacks or whatever your offerings may be. Depending on your local temple procedures, you’ll either wait with your filled kun for the monks to walk in single file carrying their alms bowls or you'll take your kun and walk over to their bowls, laid out on a table which gets replaced with a new, empty one every time it becomes full. When not in use for religious or cultural events the kuns can be stacked on top of each other in storage, but are usually on display in homes as they are quite beautiful on their own.

Undoubtedly there seems to be one instrument that stands out when it comes to Lao celebration music and that is the kaen (also spelled khaen or khene), a mouth organ made from bamboo pipe with silver reeds inside that vibrate to make its sound. Xai who is also LHF’s Music Director uses the kaen to teach in class, says emphatically “The kaen is quintessentially Lao”, adding that “music of the kaen is to Lao culture what the Blues, Jazz, and Bluegrass are to American culture.” Traditionally, the kaen has been rooted in love and courtship, and in Laos it's not uncommon for a young man to serenade his love interest with kaen music. Often played at special events where baci ceremonies take place they can also be heard at funerals, house-warming parties, and during festivals called boon. The kaen can be performed as an accompaniment to lum (a genre of Lao music) or as part of an ensemble. Xai notes that in these settings, "the kaen's complexity is overshadowed by the voices of the maw lum and other instruments. When played solo, however, it becomes obvious that this instrument is complex and requires many years of training to master.”

While dressing up for Lao New Year is up to each individual’s style preference, the pa bieng, a traditional Lao sash, offers the option for the wearer to feel especially part of a Lao ceremony. Niphasone who often oversees the wardrobe of LHF’s youth orchestra, says they can be worn during formal events, at the temple or performances such as during traditional Lao dances, and that both males and female would wear it. While the male pa bieng is usually cotton cloth printed in plaid, the female pa bieng is usually more ornate, with gold thread motifs woven into the design, some with bead tassels hanging from the ends, and others sold as part of a matching set with a sinh, or traditional Lao skirt. When worn the cloth is draped over left shoulder, as it represents the same side where the heart is. According to Niphasone “The cloth is used ceremonially as a place where you bow down on when you are at the temple or put on the head of the bride and groom when giving blessing during a wedding ceremony.”

If there’s any indication you are stepping inside of a place inhabited by Lao people, your first clue is the pile of shoes left on the floor before you enter, and the second is the saht, a multipurpose flat-woven reed rug. What it lacks in plushy comfort it makes up for in its functionality and durability. The saht is essentially a scatter rug, an alternative to carpeting that’s easier to clean up and pack, used for just about any and every activity that takes place on the floor - which in Lao culture is a lot. In the traditional practice of eating on floors, it becomes your dining space. When used at Buddhist temples they are placed where worshipers kneel and sit. And when outside shows and concerts are happening, the sahts can be placed on the ground since their open airy weave doesn’t allow dirt to hold on for long. If you’re thinking of a housewarming gift, the saht is the way to go.

There’s a saying: the higher the bun, the closer you are to God. In Lao formal events, women often wear their hair in a bun, though the height isn’t necessarily indicative of spiritual proximity as bun styles are worn differently throughout various regions in Laos. For instance, in Luang Prabang, the bun is worn lower in the back and slightly to the left, says Niphasone, who also notes that “for dancing and other formal events most wear their buns in the middle of the head and sitting on top of the head.” Head jewelry also makes an appearance in Lao celebration hair, and will vary for each occasion. In dancing and formal events, gold beads are wrapped around the bottom of the bun and the top is decorated with dok mai wai (gold metal flower hair pins), although sometimes just flowers are used to decorate the bun.

If the Lao New Year celebration you’re attending includes the parade of the Nang Songkran Princesses, then you’ve probably seen the three-faced sculpture of King Kabinlaphom, a revered character of Lao folklore from which this tradition is derived. According to Bryan Thao Worra, writer and noted Lao American historian, “The legend tells of a divine king who lost a bet with a clever boy and had to forfeit his head. If the head touched the sea, earth, or sky, there would be an epic catastrophe, so the safest option was to store the head in a cave. Each year, one of the 7 daughters of the king cleanses the head and leads a procession around a holy mountain to honor their father in order to bring good fortune and prevent disaster in the coming months ahead.” As to why there are three faces, Worra says that part of the story is up for dispute. “It's supposed to be 4 faces," he remarks “but Lao sculptures tend to depict 3. Each face represents one of the oldest holy texts in the religious tradition. It's a Lao take on the Hindu god Brahma. Depending on who you talk to, each of the faces are indicative of the most ancient holy texts in the cultural tradition, others think it means seeing past, present, future”.

No matter what Lao food you are eating sticky rice is the staple that is present with every dish, and a celebratory meal would not be without the bamboo basket that holds it, the thip khao. Chef Seng Luangrath would know, she named her award-winning D.C. restaurant after it, explaining “they become very personal because they contain the country’s staple grain and are a symbol of honest Lao cooking.” Woven layers of bamboo make them the perfect serving containers for cooked sticky rice since they also function as storage after meals, keeping moisture and heat in to prevent it from drying out. At Seng’s restaurant where various thip khaos adorn the walls, it’s the mini ones that make it to the tables encouraging diners to use their hands to eat sticky rice. Chef Seng expanded upon the idea stating “At a typical dinner, each guest will receive his or her own thip khao to preserve the authenticity of the Lao meal. The hope is that when the guest receives the thip khao their appetite and their interest in the deep cultural history symbolized by the receptacle will be stimulated.”

Freshly-prepared food at a Lao New Year party calls for the necessary addition of these next items, the kok and sahk, or mortar and pestle, two very important fixtures in the Lao kitchen. The kok is typically made from fired clay and provides a rough, friction-friendly texture along its inner walls for the sahk which is made from wood, to extract and fuse the essences of ingredients. Bobby Pradachith who also runs the Thip Khao restaurant and cooks with his mom Seng, says that “in many ways they serve the same purpose as a food processor or blender would in an American kitchen”. Used to blend spices and make jaew (dipping sauces), the kok and sahk are perhaps most famous for their use in making tam mak houng (papaya salad). Unlike salads which are gently tossed in a dressing, the main ingredients here - green papaya, garlic, tomato and chillies - are pounded together to pull flavor from their oils, tenderize each piece, and further blend all the components. “Technique is a very important factor in the results” remarks Bobby, ”force, speed, and duration all play a part in the final product”, adding that this process enhances the unique flavors of food from Southeast Asia. Here’s a fun bit of trivia: Chef Seng likes to use the kok as a sharpening stone for her knives. Now can your blender do that?

Regardless of culture, spirituality, or class there’s no denying the presence of alcohol at a party. For Lao people it seems we like our liquor brown. While some claim it’s not a Lao party without Hennessy, others are loyal to Johnny Walker (Black Label if you’re really trying to celebrate). However, once every Lao New Year brings out a special kind of aged brown spirit. Known as lao ya, which translates to “medicine alcohol”, it’s a special homemade concoction of a neutral liquor (in Laos this would be lao Lao a whiskey made from sticky rice, in the U.S. most likely vodka) with herbs added for flavor and supposed health benefits. The lao ya's flavor will depend on the recipe used, but the general consensus describes it as somewhat woodsy, similar to licorice or root beer but without the sweetness. Regardless of whether that bottle of brown is newly store-bought or marinating on someone's shelf waiting to be opened for occasions like New Year, the Lao way to offer a drink is to pour a shot into one cup - to be used over and over by every drinker - and once offered to you, cannot be turned down. Hey, you can’t start off the new year wasting, might as well drink up. Cheers.

Did our list get everything Lao New Year? Anything we missed or got wrong? Let us know in the comments.