Wow, It's very beautiful photos, I think you are a professional photographer, right ? The foreigner in the photo look like my teacher, do you know her ?
About the information of this festival I will tell you later, I hope you don't mind
Sorry for reply late, I was busy on the last weekend.
There are some story for this festival, and I have it in Lao but I can't translate to English, it's difficult Lao word, but the main point of the story come from the preach of buddha.
"Why do the monks light up their "Wat" with candles and lanterns in the night?" the reason is in the story.
The "Boun Lai Hua Fai" is held 1 day after the full moon?
Lai Heau Fai festival is held when Ok Phansa (End of Buddhist Lent), In Luang Prabang is held for 2 days, full moon day and after full moon day of the 11th month in Lao calenda (usually it is in octorber).
In the morning of full moon day have big alms there, at the night the monks light up their "Wat" with candles and lanterns and normal people too, around the city is decorated by Luang Prabang lamps...we call this night "the day of Heau Fai Boke" in Lao, Heau mean boat, Fai mean fire, Boke mean land) So Heau Fai Boke mean the magic boat which create for the land, no for river please you guess ! As some photos on the top that is your, you took it in the day of Heu Fai Boke. This day is for people and city where is too far from main river.
After full moon day, we call this day"the day of Lai Heau Fai", Lai mean flow along river, in Luang prabang we have the procession. The magic boat which is created for the river(usually it is created from animal in Lao literature as such : Naga(Lao dragon)...
"The costumes worn by the females during the parade are local tribal costumes? "
Yes, some costumes is worn by females are local tribal but the main costume is Lao tradition costume.
Do you have any thing else ? please fell free to ask me.
This year 2008, Lai Hua Fai Festival will held on 14th and 15th of October but the atmosphrere will happen on beginning of that month, Luang Prabang peoples will put many lamp around their house, and the Lai Hua Fai parade will held on evening of 15th, Don't forget to visit Luang Prabang on that occasion.
-- Edited by Luangprabang2day at 00:34, 2008-08-16
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