Inside Laos Culture: Buddhism, Festivals and Daily Traditions

Sitting at the heart of Southeast Asia, Laos is steeped in tradition, spirituality, and a deep sense of community. Landlocked Laos boasts a vibrant cultural landscape and is steeped in everyday traditions shaped by its people, history, and natural surroundings. At the core of Laos’ culture is Theravada Buddhism, a way of life that influences daily routines and social customs as well as the country’s annual festivals. From early morning almsgiving rituals to the solemn yet joyous celebrations that mark the Lao New Year, spiritual traditions offer a window into the soul of Laos.

And while it may be seen to be in the shadow of its more famous neighbors (Thailand and Vietnam) to the western world, Laos more than holds its own when it comes to festivals, food, traditional handicrafts, and ethnic diversity. Laotian culture permeates throughout the land and will leave its mark on all who visit…

1. The Lao Path to Enlightenment

Buddhism serves as the cornerstone of Lao culture and its population’s daily traditions and routines. As with most of its neighbors – Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar – the Lao people adhere to the principles of the Theravada School of Buddhism and see this branch of Buddhism as an important part of their lives. While Laos, or the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (as it’s officially called), is a diverse nation with many ethnicities making up its population, it’s estimated that around two-thirds see Theravada Buddhism as their religion.

The prevalence and importance of religion is evident in everyday life in Laos. Early in the morning, from around 5:30 a.m., you will see saffron-clad monks walking along the streets with alms bowls slung over their shoulders, receiving gifts of food (especially sticky rice) from the people. This almsgiving ritual, known as tak bat, allows the donors to make merit (an important aspect of Buddhism) while also feeding the country’s myriad monks.

The multitude of Buddhist temples, or wats, are community hubs and offer a focal point where the Lao people can meditate, take part in merit-making ceremonies, and engage in community gatherings. Visitors to Vientiane, the country’s capital, should check out Pha That Luang, whose golden stupa is a national symbol of Laos.

2. Festivals That Capture Lao Culture

Another way to gain an insight into Laotian culture is to visit when one of its many festivals is happening. There is a plethora of different festivals happening throughout the year, some locally celebrated but many involving the whole nation, such as the vibrant New Year festivities. Here’s an overview of some of the bigger ones to check out, but bear in mind dates follow the lunar calendar and can vary each year on the Gregorian calendar:

Boun Pi Mai (Lao New Year) – mid-April

Boun Bang Fai (Rocket Festival) – between May and September

Boun Pha Wet – between January and February

Boun Ock Phansa – October

Lao National Day – 2nd December

Hmong New Year – mid-December

3. The Rich Flavors of Lao Food

While present-day maps divide Southeast Asia into different countries, the region’s food pays little attention to these invisible lines. Lao cuisine may have many things in common with some of its neighbors, but at the same time it retains its own character and is quite unique in many ways. There are obvious similarities with some dishes that are also popular in Thailand and Vietnam, but over the years Laos’ culture has stamped its own mark on them, and there are other dishes that are uniquely Lao.

Sticky Rice

Often written in English as khao niew, sticky rice is much more than just food to the Lao people; it’s a way of life. It is woven deeply into the Lao culture, its religious traditions (e.g., almsgiving), and indeed the entire national identity. Each person consumes around 170 kilograms (375 lb) of sticky rice per year, on average, giving Lao the distinction of having the highest yearly sticky rice consumption per head in the world.

Also known in English as glutinous rice, the dish is seen as the glue that holds Lao society together, with the term ‘glutinous’ referring to glue, not gluten (there is no gluten in sticky rice). There are endless variations on a theme when it comes to sticky rice in Laos, with the International Rice Genebank claiming to know of almost 2,500 varieties of glutinous rice within the country. If you travel around the country, be sure to try sticky rice wherever you roam, as it will vary from region to region.

Lao Dishes to Try

Larb

If you have already explored neighboring Thailand, you may have already tried larb. While the dish is popular in Thailand, especially in the north, it originates from Laos and is seen as a national dish there. Larb is seen as a ‘meat salad’ and is usually made with ground meat, usually chicken or pork, and is often aromatically spiced with mint and coriander. It’s sometimes quite spicy, but always very flavorful.

Tam Som

Another dish whose popularity has ignored modern borders and is believed to be of Lao origin is green papaya salad, known locally as tam som. The dish is a spicy salad made from shredded green (unripe) papaya, chillies, various vegetables, and fish and/or shrimp paste. It is often served with sticky rice and grilled chicken (ping kai) and is a street food favorite.

Khao Jee

Another popular street food, khao jee is similar to the Vietnamese bahn mi in its style and its French influence. It’s a baguette with meat, usually pork, and garnished with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, chili sauce, and coriander leaves.

Khao Poon

Khao Poon is a traditional Lao coconut curry soup that is usually served with vermicelli noodles. It’s made from chicken broth, coconut milk, and red curry paste, which gives it a vibrant red hue.

Lao Pho

Lao pho is a noodle soup that is popular throughout the country, although its ingredients tend to vary from region to region. It generally has beef broth at its base and also includes spring onions, rice noodles, and an assortment of spices and herbs.

Sai Kok

These are spiced Lao sausages that include kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, chillies, and garlic. They are usually grilled until crispy and make a great lunch or snack from a street food cart together with some sticky rice.

Kaipen

Kaipen is a little similar to Japanese nori seaweed, except that Laos is landlocked and lacks a sea. However, it does have rivers, and kaipen is crispy-fried dried river weed, lightly salted, and topped with sesame seeds.

4. Exploring Laos’ Cultural Clothing

Another area of Lao culture to explore is its traditional clothing and weaving, especially when in Luang Prabang. There are a number of villages close to the old capital that are famed for their excellent silk weaving, with Ban Phanom being one of the best known. The ancient techniques used by the weavers produce items of very high quality and are well respected.

An excellent souvenir is a traditional pha biang – a classic Lao shawl – but the weavers also produce other items of clothing and also various items that can decorate your home. The pha biang is often worn by men at weddings or for religious ceremonies. These shawls are often made from a long piece of silk, about a foot wide, which is worn draped diagonally over the chest, covering one shoulder, with the other end dropping down the wearer’s back.

5. The Art of Lao Handicrafts

If you have a couple of days in Luang Prabang, in addition to seeing the classic sites, you will also have the time to check out the silk weaving in Ban Phanom and the traditional Saa paper production in Ban Xang Khong. Saa paper, made from mulberry bark, pops up in many places in Lao daily life and is used for decorations during festivals, greeting cards, paper lanterns, wrapping paper, and for writing religious texts on. It comes in a range of styles and can be either flexible or stiff, and either transparent or opaque.

If you have already explored a Lao temple, you may already have seen the impressive wood carvings on display. The dense rainforests and jungles in the Lao countryside produce a vast array of interesting and varied types of wood, including ebony, teak, and rosewood, and as a result, the people started carving to decorate the temples and indeed their homes. Many of Laos’ ethnic minorities are renowned for their skills as carpenters and woodcarvers, including the Hmong, Yao, and Akha peoples.

6. One Land, Many Cultures

While more than half of the country’s population is ethnic Lao, the nation offers a diverse tapestry of many different ethnic groups. The Lao government officially recognizes 49 different ethnic groups, but the total number is estimated to exceed 200. Broadly speaking, the Lao society is divided into three categories that are loosely based on altitude: 

• lowland (Lao Loum)
• mid-slope (Lao Theung)
• the highland hill tribes (Lao Soung).

While traveling around Laos from region to region, you will encounter different peoples with different ways of life. This will be evident in the differing styles of food as well as in the languages they speak, especially if you visit the hill tribes. Trips out into the Laotian side of the Golden Triangle are great for avid trekkers and nature lovers, but also offer the opportunity to learn more about hill tribes such as the Hmong, Yao, Dao, and Shan.

7. Traditional Music and Dance in Laos

The most famous Lao cultural dance is called the Lam Vong. These dances traditionally begin with a solitary person making head and hand movements based on Buddhist mudras. This person is then joined by a second person, and then other couples join in until a crowd forms with three slowly turning circles. The name Lam Vong translates as ‘circle dance’ and you can see it performed throughout the country.

Phra Lak Phra Ram and the Bamboo Dance are also seen as Lao cultural dances and differ from Lam Vong. The Phra Lak Phra Ram is a religious dance that depicts a story from Buddhism. It tells the tale of two brothers, Phra Lak and Phra Ram, and can be seen at the Royal Ballet Theater in Luang Prabang.The Bamboo Dance is an exciting dance and is prevalent in Laos’ mountainous regions. It not only involves rhythmic moves in time to the music, but the dance is performed above bamboo poles, which are constantly being moved by two rows of people kneeling down.