Lao people have to change their way to celebrate the new year festival, staying with their families and not enjoying colorful activities, as the government urged the public to suspend all social events to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The Lao New Year is the liveliest holiday of the year that every Laotian looks forward to, as it is a time when many people come back to their families for reunion.
The Lao New Year, falling on between Tuesday and Thursday this year, is usually is a period of time for people to put on new dresses for various occasions.
In Luang Prabang, the ancient Lao capital some 220 km north of Vientiane, where traditions hold the tightest, Buddha images are brought out from their permanent places so villagers can pour perfumed water on them.
Sonthany Simahano, a 35-year-old resident of Luang Prabang, told Xinhua on Thursday that this is the first year that the government has cancelled Lao New Year celebrations and urged people to avoid large gatherings.
Traditionally, elders will encourage young people to clean their places and go out to pour water on other elders and Buddha images in temples, which they believe will bring them good luck, then to have fun and get themselves wet, as is believed to be a way to wash bad things away.
"This year is different, people have to stay home, pouring elders and sprinkling water to Buddha images in their house," Kongkham Savannary, a 32-year-old woman from the Lao capital Vientiane, said.
In other years, many places around the Vientiane city would set up music booths for Lao people and foreigners to enjoy the festival. This year all of the events have been cancelled to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The Prime Minister's Office on Monday issued a notice imposing a nationwide ban on the selling of alcoholic beverages from Monday to April 20, seeking to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Malaisy Phetsada, a 26-year-old woman living in Vientiane, told the reporter that she has a small restaurant and was expecting a big increase in sales during the Lao New Year.
Now, the sale and expectation disappeared, and she decided to close the restaurant and celebrate with her family instead. "This is the first year that everyone stays at home during the festival. I will take this chance, try to spend a happy time with my family," she said.
Sounatda Chanthavong, a 23-year-old woman in Vientiane, told Xinhua that she had planned to travel abroad during the Lao New Year for the long holiday, but the schedule was changed by the pandemic.
"My activities during the festival this year are cleaning house, pouring water to Buddha images in my house and celebrate with my friends through video call," she said.
As of Thursday, Laos has tested 1,288 suspected cases with 19 cases positive, while two COVID-19 patients have recovered and were discharged from the hospital. Enditem |
