The boat racing festival called Boun Suang Heua or Boun Xuang Heua (Lao: ບຸນຊ່ວງເຮືອ ) or Loy Krathong (Lao: ລອຍກະໂທງ {{IPA, lo, lóːj kā.tʰóːŋ}) is celebrated every year, particularly in

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

, usually in October, at the end of Buddhist Lent. There are spectacular canoe races organized in the cities (mainly

Vientiane Vientiane (, ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Laos. Situated on the banks of the Mekong, Mekong River at the Thailand, Thai border, it comprises the five urban districts of Vientiane Prefecture and had a population of 840,000 ...

Luang Prabang Luang Prabang (Lao language, Lao: wikt:ຫຼວງພະບາງ, ຫຼວງພະບາງ, pronounced ), historically known as Xieng Thong (ຊຽງທອງ) and alternatively spelled Luang Phabang or Louangphabang, is the capital of Lu ...

Savannakhet Savannakhet (, ; ), officially named Kaysone Phomvihane (); since 2005 and previously known as ''Khanthaboury'' (; ), is a city in western Laos. It is the capital of Savannakhet Province. With a population of 125,760 (2018), it is the second-l ...

, and Champassak province) and villages along the

Mekong The Mekong or Mekong River ( , ) is a transboundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth-longest river and the third-longest in Asia with an estimated length of and a drainage area of , discharging of wat ...

. Boats are decorated with flowers and candles. Also, small rafts made of

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...

and decorated with

candles A candle is an ignitable candle wick, wick embedded in wax, or another flammable solid substance such as tallow, that provides light, and in some cases, a Aroma compound, fragrance. A candle can also provide heat or a method of keeping time. ...

are launched down the streams and river.

Origin of the tradition

The canoe race has existed for thousands of years. Daily life is greatly organized around the

River and its numerous tributaries. Indeed, it was both a major means of transport and communication, but also a food source thanks to the fish. Although today's canoe race is essentially a social, sporting and commercial event, it still remains associated with the

naga Naga or NAGA may refer to: Mythology * Nāga, a serpentine deity or race in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions ** Phaya Naga, mythical creatures believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong River ** Naga, another name for Bakunawa, an ...

, the protective river spirits of

, which, according to Lao beliefs, carry away the rice paddies and return them back to the water.
DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Cambodia & Laos
', Dorling Kindersley Ltd, 2013, p. 126

References

Buddhist holidays Buddhist festivals in Laos