Lao new year means season of change from dry turn to rainy season. Generally, 14 15 16th of April are fixed for celebrating the festival during 5th Lao Month, so it called in another name that 5th Lao Month festival.
Background of 5th Lao Month festival: When the time changes into 5th Lao Month like April, the weather will be rather hot, people is easily sick and ill.
Watering the body, wishing each other is the idea of Lao philosopher since the Ancient time, in order to make relatives happy. And there is a story narrated in the past that: a pair of millionaires got married many years but they hadn't any child, so they vowed the Xay tree. The tree pitied them and it beg for the child from Brahma, so he send Mr. Thammabankoumman to be born. When the Thammabankouman was born, grew up and finsihed Tri-genders course and became a teacher, he is famous far away to Kabinlaphom, he heard the rumor Thammabankouman is omniscient, so he came to challenge and ask 3 questions such as: Where is people's sign in the morning? Where is people's sign in the afternoon? Where is people's sign in the evening?. He gave Thammabankouman within 7 days for answeing such questions and he fixed that if the questions doesn't have answer, the Thammabankouman will be decapitated, and if know the answer, he will be beheaded the same. Finally, because Thammabankouman knew animals'languages, prior to the appointment, he got the answer fromconveration ofa pair of birds on palm tree while them staying under the tree that: in the morning, the sign of people is the face, so people wash their face every morning. In the afternoon, a sign of people is chest, so people wash chest or take a bath in the afternoon. In evening, the sign of people is feet, so people wash feet before going to bed. When 7 day is due, Kabinlaphom came to listen the answer from Thammabankouman and accepted the 3 answers are correct and defeated for decapitating, before beheading, he called his 7 daughters and asked them to use the tray to obtain the head, because the people believe that if place the head on the earth, it will cause the fire. If throw away above, it will cause the drought. If drop in the water, the water will be4 dry. Therefore, he told his seven daughters to use the tray support the head and place in the cave. Every year his 7 daughters will change the shift to sprinkle and perfume their father's head in order to make the country happy. So that there's Miss. Sang Khan contest each year.
Nowadays, Lao New Year is the traditional festival continues every year. Activities celebration is to sprinkle the Buddha, monk, elderly people and watering each other. As the same time, There is Nang Sang Khan Palace procession, which means the seven daughters of King Kabinlaphom.
