Boun Khao Salak is a Buddhist festival in Luang Prabang that celebrates and remembers the dead. Offerings are presented to Buddhist monks. On the final day, always the Full Moon, families visit local temples to make offerings to the deceased.
It is especially important to give offerings to the deceased a year after a person has died and the festival is similar in this respect to the Japanese festival of Obon. In both festivals, the Buddha's exhortation to honour the dead and present them with offerings is observed. To forego these familial duties to the dead has disastrous consequences - if the spirit does not receive offerings, then it will bring the living bad luck.
During the festival the Mekong is jammed with amazing gold and red boats, beautifully carved, with snake-heads for prows.
Event details can change. Please check with the organisers that the event is happening before making travel arrangements.
