HAPPY NEW YEAR PORSOR 2551

[champthong]

Buddhist New Year 2550/2551 is approaching soon and was wondering what everyone doing to celebrate this wonderful boon pii mai or boon dearn hok songkran (songkran)? Hopefully, I will run to some of you!

 

[champthong]

I know that Wat Lao (Tai Neua) in Cherry Valley, Illinois is doing a huge celebration similar to the celebration in Laos/Thailand/Yunnan province on the 13th of April 2007. There will be chanting/praying in the morning, parade, hoot nam (water splashing), beauty peagant, then lum vong all night long. I don't know where I put my invitation card that have all of the schedule.

Here's the address if your near the area and want to join the fun!

Lao Buddhist Temple
6925 S Mulford Rd
Cherry Valley, IL 61016
(815) 874-0432


Wat Lao Pathoummaphoutha Ram or Lao Buddhist Temple of Milwaukee usually have concert during New Year celebrations. The singers usually are from Laos and Thailand.

Wat Lao Pathoummaphoutha Ram
Lao Buddhist Temple of Milwaukee
1925 W. National Ave.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53204
Phone: 414-383-2051

Wat Lao Visalia have interesting events as well. Well, I think every Wats is going to have wonderful events.

Wat Lao in Washington D.C should be exciting this year. They always have exciting events there.

Happy New Year 2550 to everyone and with many happiness and prosperity!

 

[Vanida]

thanks for the info. yea alot of celebration and places to go for the laos new year

 

[lilxgxriah]

I GO TO THE WAT LAO IN D.C.!!...its always pretty nice there!! a lot of cutie's..lol..and the water fight!!

hey...can someone explain to me the laos and thai year system?...i always thought it was just like ours here in the u.s.

 

[champthong]

hey...can someone explain to me the laos and thai year system?...i always thought it was just like ours here in the u.s.

Well, countries that are buddhist dominant uses Buddhist calendar or Lunar/Solar calendar such as Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Sri Lanka, and Yunnan province in several related forms.

I will try to make it as easy as possible because there are many factors as well but I will try to explain it to give you some idea.

There are 4 eras:
1. Anchansakarat which is rarely used (from 10 March 691 BC)
2. Buddhasakarat-Buddhist Era (BE) (from 11 March 545 BC), however 544 BE-AD used to be common, but now 543 BE-AD is commonly used beginning after April. NOTE: For the Buddhist Era, which has the origin of 544 BC. This year is called year 1 in Sri Lanka and Burma, but year 0 in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Yunnan Province.
3. Mahasakarat similar to Indian calendar was used until the mid-13th century, but this is standard in Cambodia.
4. Chulasakarat standard in Burma.

Okay, now we all know that all years are elapsed/expired/complete years, so then the buddhist year is year 0, not year 1, because a complete year had not yet elapsed during it. However, the western Gregorian calendar had been modified several times as well. In Gregorian calendar there are 360 days and 365 days (banker's days). In some of the buddhist calendar such as Thai/Lao/Cambodian version they do not allow extra day to occur within years having an extra month, whereas the Burmese/Sri Lankan version permits an extra day only in years having an extra month. Thus there are four types of lunisolar years, of 354, 355, 384, or 385 days. Furthermore, each month has a waxing half of 15 days and a waning half of 14 or 15 days.

To simply put:
The year is counted from the Buddhist Era (B.E.), which is 543 years earlier than the Gregorian Christian Era (A.D.). For example, A.D. 2007 is equivalent to 2550 B.E. For the Buddhist Era, which has the origin of 544 BC. This year is called year 1 in Sri Lanka and Burma, but year 0 in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Yunnan Province.

Try figuring out your date of birth in Buddhist calendar. For example if your date of birth is 1986 in Gregorian calendar then in Buddhist year using the current buddhist calendar (543) your date of birth would be 2529 (1986/2529) or in Burma/Sri Lanka would be 2530(1986/2530).

NOTE: On January 1st it is called Duean Sagorn or Pii Mai Sagorn (Western New Year), but in some of the Southeast Asian countries the new year officially starts on April 13th, thus April 13th is equivalent to January 1st in the Wetern Hemisphere (using Gregorian calendar).

I think with the conversion from Buddhist year to Gregorian year, it messes all the ages up. I have encounter several situations where these people who migrated to America from Buddhist countries and they were trying to explain to the Americans that they are 2 or 3 years older than what is on the immigration form or on their ID. And they don't seem to understand. I bet some of you have the same problem with the age difference.

PORSOR 2550/2007

I hope this make sense!

 

[babylakorn]

thanks for the infos, i don't live near any of those places

 

[sh3lli3sh3ll]

HAPPY LAO NEW YEARS to everyone!! im soo excited i love goin to all the wat and doin the dak baht...my family always goes to somewhere different every year i think this year we're gonna stay close to home and go to the one in redding, CA! HAPPY LAO NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!! :yahoo:

 

[exp0]

I wish I could go back to San Diego and celebrate there. The one in Orlando doesn't start until 28th and 29th. And where I live is not until the first weekend of May. Two events will be held, in the morning a soccer and a 'tae tohr' (a wooden-soccer like ball) competition between two counties, and at night a 'Nang Sung Kaan' pageant.

Is everyone ready to faun lum vong? What is your favorite type of lum anyway?

My favorite type of lum to faun to is lum khonsavanh, lum poo thai, and lum salavanh.

 

[dfemc]

Well, countries that are buddhist dominant uses Buddhist calendar or Lunar/Solar calendar such as Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Sri Lanka, and Yunnan province in several related forms.

There are 4 eras:
1. Anchansakarat which is rarely used (from 10 March 691 BC)
2. Buddhasakarat-Buddhist Era (BE) (from 11 March 545 BC), however 544 BE-AD used to be common, but now 543 BE-AD is commonly used beginning after April. NOTE: For the Buddhist Era, which has the origin of 544 BC. This year is called year 1 in Sri Lanka and Burma, but year 0 in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Yunnan Province.
3. Mahasakarat similar to Indian calendar was used until the mid-13th century, but this is standard in Cambodia.
4. Chulasakarat standard in Burma.

Try figuring out your date of birth in Buddhist calendar. For example if your date of birth is 1986 in Gregorian calendar then in Buddhist year using the current buddhist calendar (543) your date of birth would be 2529 (1986/2529) or in Burma/Sri Lanka would be 2530(1986/2530).

hmm...thank you soo much. i've always wondered this myself. when i was in nepal and southeast asia, while volunteering, it was so difficult figuring the date and years out when filling out the forms, because everything was in buddhasakarat. n no one could ever seem to be able to explain this concept to me, which impinged on my curiousity even more. though i' no longer there, this was extremely helpful infomration. thnx again.

 

[klarissa]

party at my place. hahaha hey champ you know i'm starting to crush on you and your abudance of information, well its stuff i already know however its just nice to see someoen take the actual time to write it all down. =) sweet.

 

[linky]

Happy lao's new year. I know there will be many celebration this coming up weekend here in Cali, but I don't know if I should go...Nay, I'll hang out at Universal Studios instead. I can't decide so i'll take my little cousin to Universal...LOL
Party hard and don't drink too much....BE safe and stay away from the cops....LOL

 

[Mdc]

Happy New Lao New Year to everyone...We celebrate our New Year already(April 6,7 and 8 in Tennessee)...today we tuk badt....its really cold today to do the water fight.....Take care everyone and happy lao new year

 

[leek18]

I'm not lao but the lao new year seem to be interesting but there is one question i want to ask you guys, isn't you guy did your new year like twice a year. Last weekend, some lao people did a new year and i lived close and hear music and some host people talking and it does look nice but i haven't had a chance to go and take a look well guys can you tell me what did people did in lao new year

 

[champthong]

I'm not lao but the lao new year seem to be interesting but there is one question i want to ask you guys, isn't you guy did your new year like twice a year. Last weekend, some lao people did a new year and i lived close and hear music and some host people talking and it does look nice but i haven't had a chance to go and take a look well guys can you tell me what did people did in lao new year

Well, Lao people do have lots of holidays, afterall they are Buddhist.

As the name implied "New Year" only happen once a year, which is in April (usually April 13th marks the beginning and usually end 3-6 days after that). However, in US, Europe, Australia, where Buddhist holidays are not dominant by politicians; Lao people have to work around the schedule to fit the New Year base on their work schedule, and other scheduling. As a result, Lao Community (Samakom) would find a date that is best for that community to celebrate (adapting/accommodating). Some community may have already celebrated as early as April 6th and so forth. Other will not celebrate until the end of April, etc (adapting/accommodating).

In Buddhist countries such as Laos P.D.R, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Yunnan Province, etc the New Year will start at 5am in the morning of April 13th and end on 16th of April 2007. I suggest going over there during the New Year and you will be amaze with all the festivities, merit making, etc.

There are several events that happen during Lao New Year. Some of the events that takes place during New Year are:
1. Merit making (tamboon)
2. Merit making to elderly
3. Merit making to your parents
4. Parade
5. Water Splashing
6. Beauty Pageant
7. Cultural Show
8. Lum Vong
9. Concert
10. Eating, dancing, tournament, and much much more
11. Making structures such as stupas, pagodas, etc out of sand (decorated with flags, white line, flowers, etc)
12. Su Kon aka Baci
13. Clean your house to get rid of old year and welcome new year
14. Bathe the Buddha (ap nam pra chao)
15. Etc

Bao Bao Sow Sow sanook lai nai vun pii mai songkran

I hope this provide you with some broad idea of the New Year!

 

[leek18]

thanks for telling me about it well it seems like our hmong new year too but you guys have more fun than us because of the Water Splashing Thing.

Well, Lao people do have lots of holidays, afterall they are Buddhist.

As the name implied "New Year" only happen once a year, which is in April (usually April 13th marks the beginning and usually end 3-6 days after that). However, in US, Europe, Australia, where Buddhist holidays are not dominant by politicians; Lao people have to work around the schedule to fit the New Year base on their work schedule, and other scheduling. As a result, Lao Community (Samakom) would find a date that is best for that community to celebrate (adapting/accommodating). Some community may have already celebrated as early as April 6th and so forth. Other will not celebrate until the end of April, etc (adapting/accommodating).

In Buddhist countries such as Laos P.D.R, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Yunnan Province, etc the New Year will start at 5am in the morning of April 13th and end on 16th of April 2007. I suggest going over there during the New Year and you will be amaze with all the festivities, merit making, etc.

There are several events that happen during Lao New Year. Some of the events that takes place during New Year are:
1. Merit making (tamboon)
2. Merit making to elderly
3. Merit making to your parents
4. Parade
5. Water Splashing
6. Beauty Pageant
7. Cultural Show
8. Lum Vong
9. Concert
10. Eating, dancing, tournament, and much much more
11. Making structures such as wat (temple), pagoda, etc out of sand
12. Su Kon aka Baci
13. Clean your house to get rid of old year and welcome new year
14. Bathe the Buddha (ap nam pra chao)
15. Etc

Bao Bao Sow Sow sanook lai nai vun pii mai songkran

I hope this provide you will broad idea of the New Year!

 

[triANGgo]

Hi Took Kon, Sook Sun Wun Pee Mai....... wishing everyone goodluck cause i know u all need it.... now all u guys go to the temple and go get bless k.....lol..... i need it the most..... HAVE FUN AND GET WET AS POSSIBLE...... me just dont want to be in the parade <_<

 

[exp0]

Sucks for you Lek, hahahaha.

But then again... I'm in it too. LOL

There won't be a Nang Sung Kan, but more of a fashion show.

 

[kumpangxruk]

happy new yearsssss! ^_^

how come we don't have water splashing in mn...rawrs. sad it's cuz the old ppl here don't like it cuz of all the fancy wear hahah. but i'm going to the nang sung khan! my friends cousin's in it! then party hardy afterwards lol.

 

[Wai Wai Noodles]

Happy New Years!!!

We're celebrating it today and all the festivities were held last week going onto this week and ending this coming Sunday.

Out with the old and in with the new with the exception of your love one LOL ^_^

May this year and every year bring forth success in all aspects of life that we as individuals strive and yearn for

 

[donna]

Happy Lao New Year to everyone! i'm not doing anything for this new year's. tired of going to the temple parties cuz of all the drama that goes on in there. not a temple person anyways used to but not no more