Some Impressions of my Pi Mai Lao
I must admit, I did end up a bit worried by all the comments people had made about past Pi Mai celebrations. A friend from Singapore reminded me to be careful ‘but have lots of fun too’.
He was right and I took his advice. Sometimes I tend to see only the ‘dangerous’ stuff and miss fun along the way. I’m adventurous, but cautious. Living in Singapore for 6 years has helped me to plan things. This has been good for me, but plans here are often need to be changed. The catchphrase is ‘Bobenyang’ (whatever or no worries’). I like fun, but I can easily be put off ‘fun’ as I’m caught up with the details. Maybe after living here for a few years I have the ‘fun/plans/caution/adventure’ thing going a bit better, with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Pi Mai is like celebrating Chinese New Year, National Day, Christmas and Easter all at the same time. Pi Mai involves religious, national, cultural and family themes and rites. There are many aspects to the celebrations that build family bonds and friendships.
Family Aspects: In Laos many village people move into towns and cities to find work. Th
e Country-city migration is not new in Asian cities, it is the norm. During New Years and cultural
I must admit, I did end up a bit worried by all the comments people had made about past Pi Mai celebrations. A friend from Singapore reminded me to be careful ‘but have lots of fun too’.
He was right and I took his advice. Sometimes I tend to see only the ‘dangerous’ stuff and miss fun along the way. I’m adventurous, but cautious. Living in Singapore for 6 years has helped me to plan things. This has been good for me, but plans here are often need to be changed. The catchphrase is ‘Bobenyang’ (whatever or no worries’). I like fun, but I can easily be put off ‘fun’ as I’m caught up with the details. Maybe after living here for a few years I have the ‘fun/plans/caution/adventure’ thing going a bit better, with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Pi Mai is like celebrating Chinese New Year, National Day, Christmas and Easter all at the same time. Pi Mai involves religious, national, cultural and family themes and rites. There are many aspects to the celebrations that build family bonds and friendships.
Family Aspects: In Laos many village people move into towns and cities to find work. Th
e Country-city migration is not new in Asian cities, it is the norm. During New Years and culturalcelebrations the holidays are usually generous, allowing people go home to be with their families and friends. People have time to rest and enjoy village life. Favorite dishes are cooked and most people get to eat really well. There seems to be a 'Pi Mai' shirt and it is very cool. They look like my 'old surfie' shirts...so colourful and nice. We all brought them. I preached in mine!!!
Religious Aspects:
I want to quote an article on Pi Mai. ‘Pi Mai reminds us of the legend of Thevabout, a male angel in heaven, who loses his head to a wise scholar adept in interpreting animal language.
According to the legend, Thevabout takes a riddle to the wise scholar to solve. He makes a bet with the scholar that if he can solve the riddle, his head will belong to the scholar. If he fails to solve it, the scholar’s head will belong to Thevabout.
The scholar could not solve the riddle immediately. But his ability to interpret animal language enabled him to find the solution from birds in the forest nearby, so Thevabout’s head was lost to the scholar.
Legend has it that before he died, Thevabout called his seven daughters to come to collect his blood, because if his blood spilled on the land, it would become fire, and if it dropped into the sea the water would dry up.
His daughters put his blood into a special bottle, placing it in a grave alongside his head. On the anniversary of his death they brought perfumed water to sprinkle on his head.
Pi Mai marks the anniversary of Thevabout’s death. And since that time, the tradition of sprinkling water has become a tradition in Laos’. Vientiane Times, April 07, p10.
It is an interesting article. Certainly some room to build bridges and talk about a Savior’s blood and his power. That aside, the Legend of Thevabout moves people to pour water over everything and everyone for 3 or 4 days.
Temples take this tradition into their world view and ‘the faithful are encouraged to pour water over Buddha images so they can purify themselves of past sins…the remaining water is sprinkled around the home to protect the family against evil spirits and bring good luck’.
Another religious rite during Pi Mai (and other times of the year) is called the Baci or Soukhounan.
The BACI or SOUKHOUNAN ceremony is performed for a variety of reasons. It is commonly held when families come together after being away for sometime. Baci is a Pali (Indian) word which means ‘thread’ or ‘tie’. Soukhounan is an ancient Lao word which means ‘calling spirits’. The ceremony involves…
‘calling spirits back into a person’s body and welcoming those spirits by offering flowers and trying white threads around the writs of the person receiving the spirits to keep those spirits in that person’s body…
…The Lao people believe that the body has 32 spirits and sometimes up to 50 spirits, in various parts of the body. During a journey, spirits can get lost or stay with new or interesting things. So, calling those spirits back into the body is very important’. Vientiane Times, March 98, p14.
Excessive Drinking: unrestrained
Drinking hard liquor and participating in different religious rites are at the heart of the Pi Mai celebrations. Some older people do not encourage drinking, but their voice is drowned out by the majority of people and “BEER LAO” logos and advertising!
Young people all over the world combine drinking with celebrations. Lao youth are no different. Though what has surprised me in Laos is the way many students in secondary schools think nothing of drinking Beer Lao with their lunch! I see it all the time. Italians and French drink wine at a young age, perhaps Lao people are building a culture of beer drinkers. I don’t think beer drinking is a culture in Laos yet, but I do know in that alcohol in Aussie culture is destroying many lives- road accidents, alcoholics, family violence, and general personal abuse.
On the Friday night before Pi Mai I planned to drive across town to see a friend. I drove out but I came back after 10 mins on the road. The streets were full of ‘mad’ people. I was horned several times to get out of the way; people flashed their lights behind me, also to get me out of the way. I wasn’t driving slowly; I just wasn’t driving as fast as they wanted to go. Cars and people were swerving and swaying down dark roads. It was like the New Years Eve hours in Perth, but almost twice as mad!! And people celebrate like this for 3-4 days.
The thing with the drink is that during Pi Mai celebrations people ‘drink to get smashed’. Everybody sculls from one or two glass and then pass them on to the next…parties go late. Many parents here approve of their kids drinking large amounts of beer and liquor during this time. People eat, drink and throw water!
Religious Aspects:
I want to quote an article on Pi Mai. ‘Pi Mai reminds us of the legend of Thevabout, a male angel in heaven, who loses his head to a wise scholar adept in interpreting animal language.
According to the legend, Thevabout takes a riddle to the wise scholar to solve. He makes a bet with the scholar that if he can solve the riddle, his head will belong to the scholar. If he fails to solve it, the scholar’s head will belong to Thevabout.
The scholar could not solve the riddle immediately. But his ability to interpret animal language enabled him to find the solution from birds in the forest nearby, so Thevabout’s head was lost to the scholar.
Legend has it that before he died, Thevabout called his seven daughters to come to collect his blood, because if his blood spilled on the land, it would become fire, and if it dropped into the sea the water would dry up.
His daughters put his blood into a special bottle, placing it in a grave alongside his head. On the anniversary of his death they brought perfumed water to sprinkle on his head.
Pi Mai marks the anniversary of Thevabout’s death. And since that time, the tradition of sprinkling water has become a tradition in Laos’. Vientiane Times, April 07, p10.
It is an interesting article. Certainly some room to build bridges and talk about a Savior’s blood and his power. That aside, the Legend of Thevabout moves people to pour water over everything and everyone for 3 or 4 days.
Temples take this tradition into their world view and ‘the faithful are encouraged to pour water over Buddha images so they can purify themselves of past sins…the remaining water is sprinkled around the home to protect the family against evil spirits and bring good luck’.
Another religious rite during Pi Mai (and other times of the year) is called the Baci or Soukhounan.
The BACI or SOUKHOUNAN ceremony is performed for a variety of reasons. It is commonly held when families come together after being away for sometime. Baci is a Pali (Indian) word which means ‘thread’ or ‘tie’. Soukhounan is an ancient Lao word which means ‘calling spirits’. The ceremony involves…
‘calling spirits back into a person’s body and welcoming those spirits by offering flowers and trying white threads around the writs of the person receiving the spirits to keep those spirits in that person’s body…
…The Lao people believe that the body has 32 spirits and sometimes up to 50 spirits, in various parts of the body. During a journey, spirits can get lost or stay with new or interesting things. So, calling those spirits back into the body is very important’. Vientiane Times, March 98, p14.
Excessive Drinking: unrestrained
Drinking hard liquor and participating in different religious rites are at the heart of the Pi Mai celebrations. Some older people do not encourage drinking, but their voice is drowned out by the majority of people and “BEER LAO” logos and advertising!
Young people all over the world combine drinking with celebrations. Lao youth are no different. Though what has surprised me in Laos is the way many students in secondary schools think nothing of drinking Beer Lao with their lunch! I see it all the time. Italians and French drink wine at a young age, perhaps Lao people are building a culture of beer drinkers. I don’t think beer drinking is a culture in Laos yet, but I do know in that alcohol in Aussie culture is destroying many lives- road accidents, alcoholics, family violence, and general personal abuse.
On the Friday night before Pi Mai I planned to drive across town to see a friend. I drove out but I came back after 10 mins on the road. The streets were full of ‘mad’ people. I was horned several times to get out of the way; people flashed their lights behind me, also to get me out of the way. I wasn’t driving slowly; I just wasn’t driving as fast as they wanted to go. Cars and people were swerving and swaying down dark roads. It was like the New Years Eve hours in Perth, but almost twice as mad!! And people celebrate like this for 3-4 days.
The thing with the drink is that during Pi Mai celebrations people ‘drink to get smashed’. Everybody sculls from one or two glass and then pass them on to the next…parties go late. Many parents here approve of their kids drinking large amounts of beer and liquor during this time. People eat, drink and throw water!
Some problems…not 'unique to Laos and not new to emerging societies'
smashed people…lose their driving skills! Then they jump in cars and on their motor bikes and ‘drive’ home…’so that’s why they were swaying all over the road on Friday night!’
smashed young people- lose their moral restraint- Lao culture is a ‘dancing’ culture. They love to dance. The dance is done in a circle without looking at each other…during Pi Mai people end up in a big ‘mosh’ pit and people start grabbing and touching each other. Girls and guys become seductive and lewd. Two of my friends were flashed on the streets…we saw guys wearing girl’s bra
smashed fathers- lose their physical restraint- alcohol and family violence is strongly linked in the West. I expect it to be much the same in Asia.
You couldn't call alcohol the ‘root of all evil’. Evil is the root of all evil. You could say that excessive alcohol loosens the evil within.
We did have fun and families connected during Pi Mai. But at times Pi Mai celebration was like something out of a very bad B grade movie. We've another year to try and understand the celebration and the how it is celebrated.
smashed people…lose their driving skills! Then they jump in cars and on their motor bikes and ‘drive’ home…’so that’s why they were swaying all over the road on Friday night!’
smashed young people- lose their moral restraint- Lao culture is a ‘dancing’ culture. They love to dance. The dance is done in a circle without looking at each other…during Pi Mai people end up in a big ‘mosh’ pit and people start grabbing and touching each other. Girls and guys become seductive and lewd. Two of my friends were flashed on the streets…we saw guys wearing girl’s bra
smashed fathers- lose their physical restraint- alcohol and family violence is strongly linked in the West. I expect it to be much the same in Asia.
You couldn't call alcohol the ‘root of all evil’. Evil is the root of all evil. You could say that excessive alcohol loosens the evil within.
We did have fun and families connected during Pi Mai. But at times Pi Mai celebration was like something out of a very bad B grade movie. We've another year to try and understand the celebration and the how it is celebrated.
