For the Lao New Year, there are festivals all over Laos. The festival aims at farewelling an old year and welcoming a new year. In Champasak province, the biggest festivals are held in the Pakse city. One of the festival activities celebrating New Year is Nangsangkhan (Miss Lao New Year). The most beautiful girl will be selected as a Miss Lao New Year. Miss Lao New Year parades around the Pakse city on the back of an artificial mock-up of an animal. Animals are changed every year based on the historical story.
Some families organize “baci” ceremonies; big arches made by rice plants to show their respects to the earth and sky as well as to the land spirits who facilitate rice production. They splash or pour fragrant water with flowers on people passed by to wash bad things from their bodies. Also at temples, Buddha statues are brought outside from the temples and people come to pour water on the statues. It is said that if people pour water in 9 temples, people can get good luck for the year.