Festivals & Daily Life in Muang Sing
The routine of daily rituals and annual festivals in Luang Namtha revolves around the agricultural cycle, lunar calendar and religious beliefs specific to each individual ethnic group. For example, in Buddhist communities, one can observe monks on their morning alms round, giving lay people the opportunity to gain merit by making offerings as part of a daily ritual called binthabhat. Other Buddhist rituals such as offering candles and incense to Buddha images and the ordination of young men follow a pattern similar to that in other parts of the country.

Local festivals that attract the largest number of people Muang Sing’s That Xieng Tung Festival in November, Hmong and Khmu New Year’s celebrations in December/January, May (Muang Sing) and Lao New Year in April. There is also usually a large public gathering on December 2 which is National Day in the Lao PDR.

In general, all of Muang Sing’s ethnic groups will hold special rituals and festivals associated with the planting and harvest season, with the latter from November – January being the time when food is plentiful and farmers will have a chance to rest briefly before making preparations for the upcoming year’s planting. Following the harvest, the Khmu hold the “spirit of the new rice” festival in December/January. New Year celebrations held by the Lanten, Yao, Hmong and Seda that mark the end of their agricultural cycles also take place in December/January.

Major Buddhist Festivals in Muang Sing-
February
Boun Maka Bousa – This festival is held on the full moon to commemorate the speech given by the Lord Buddha to 1,250 enlightened monks that gathered spontaneously, without prior notice. In the evening, the faithful visit local temples and circumambulate the vat three times with candles in a ceremony known as vien tian.
Boun Khao Chi – A special offering of sticky rice is coated with eggs then roasted and offered to monks. This ceremony is associated with Maka Bousa.

May
Boun Visakha Bousa – This festival celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Lord Buddha. It is held on the 15th day of the sixth lunar month. Beautiful candlelit processions take place in the evening. 

July
Boun Khao Pansa – This full-moon festival marks the beginning of Buddhist lent, a three month period where monks are required to stay within their vat to meditate and focus on darma studies. Lao men are traditionally ordained as monks during this time.

August
Boun Khao Padap Din – Special offerings are made to the deceased on the new moon of the 9th lunar month.

September
Boun Khao Salak – Offerings including daily necessities such as books, pens, sugar and coffee are made to specific monks based on a lottery system. Laypeople also present beautiful wax-flower candles to the monks to gain merit. 

October
Boun Ork Pansa – Held on the full moon in October at the end of the rainy season, monks who were ordained for the three month lent period leave the vat and rejoin their families. During the evening of Van Ork Pansa, small banana-leaf boats called heua fai are launched on rivers with offerings of incense, candles and small amounts of money in a charming ceremony meant tobring luck and prosperity.

November
Boun That Xieng Teung – Muang Sing’s most famous festival attracts large crowd of people from around the province as well as Tai-Lue Buddhists from as far away as Myanmar, China and Thailand. This festival is held during the same period as the famous That Luang Festival in Vientiane.