ປີໃຫມ່ລາວ

ງານບຸນປີໃຫມ່ລາວ ເປັນງານຫນຶ່ງເຊິ່ງປະກອບໄປດ້ວຍ ປະເພນີຕ່າງໂດຍສະເພາະແມ່ນພິທີຫົດນ້ຳດຳຫົວພຣະສົງຄ໌
ສາມະເນຣ ແລະຜູ້ເຖົ້າຜູ້ແກ່.

ເທສກາລດັ່ງກ່າວນີ້ເປັນປະເພນີປີໃຫມ່ຂອງປະເທດລາວ ໄທ ກຳປູຊາ ແລະພມ້າ ເປັນຕົ້ນ.

ເທສກາລດັ່ງກ່າວນີ້ແມ່ນອິ່ງໃສ່ປະຕິທິນທາງສຸຣິຍະຄະຕິ ໂດຍຖືເອົາ ວັນທຳອິດເຊິ່ງເປັນວັນພຣະອາທິດຍົກເຂົ້າສູ່
ເມສ ຄື ຍ້າຍຈາກຣາສີເມສໄປເປັນຣາສີມິນ ເອີ້ນວ່າ ວັນ ມະຫາສົງການຕ໌ ວັນທັດມາເອີ້ນວ່າ ວັນເນົາ ແລະວັນສຸດ ທ້າຍເປັນວັນປ່ຽນຈຸລສັກຣາຊ.

ສົງການຕ໌ ຖືວ່າເປັນປະເພນີອັນເກົ່າແກ່ທີ່ມີກາຣສືບທອດ ກັນມາເປັນເວລາດົນນານແລະດ້ວຍເຫດຜົນທີ່ກ່າວມາແລ້ວ ທາງເທິງໂດຍຫຍ້ໍນັ້ນທາງວັດລາວພຸທວົງສ໌ຈິ່ງໄດ້ມີກາຣ ຈັດ ງານປະເພນີປະຈຳປີດັ່ງກ່າວນີ້ຂຶ້ນເປັນປະຈຳທຸກໆປີ ໂດຍ ມີກາຣນຳເອົາຮູບແບບອັນເປັນດັ້ງເດີມຂອງລາວເຮົາມາສູ່ ອອກຕົນຍາຕໂຍມທີ່ຢູ່ໃນຕ່າງປະເທດໄດ້ມີກາຣສືບສານ ປະເພນີນີ້ຮ່ວມກັນຢ່າງມ່ວນຊື່ນແລະເປັນກາຣສ້າງບຸນກຸ ສົລໄປພ້ອມໆກັນໃນຄະນະດຽວ.

Songkan Festival
(Lao New Year)

Songkan is a Sanskrit word in Lao form which means the entry of the sun into any sign of the Zodiac. But the Songkan in this particular instance is when the sun enters the sign of Aries or the Ram. Its full name is Maha Songkan or Major Songkan to distinguish it from the other ones. But the people call it simply the Songkan for it is the only one they know and in which they take interest. It is their traditional New Year when they can enjoy their holidays to the full with no economic hindrance. Songkan is a fixable feast on the solar calender. It begins on the 13th April and ends on the 15th April, but occasionally in certain years on the 19th April (according to situation in the USA). The Songkan is in fact the celebration of the vernal equinox similar to those of the Indian Holi Festival, the Chinese Ching Ming, and the Christian Festival of Easter. The beginning of spring when the sun crosses the equator is now on the 21st of March which is due to the precession of the equinox. The Songkan Festival is in a certain sense like April Fool's Day, when the maids of the village play pranks on any gallant who happens to pass by their way. He will be caught and bound by the united strength of the maids and they will daub him with blacking.

Pabhassaro Bhikkhu