The Lao New Year is also called as 'Pi Mai' or 'Songkan'. It is the biggest traditional festival. It is celebrated on around April 13 to April 16 every year.

Pi Mai is the most widely celebrated festival in Laos. Songkan festival last for three days.

The first of the three days is the last day of the old year. Houses and villages are properly cleaned on the first day. Perfume, water and flowers are also prepared for the Lao New Year.

The second day of the festival is the 'day of no day', which means that the second day doesn't fall in the old year or the new year.

The last day of the festival marks the magnificent New Year. The Pi Mai is usually celebrated during the full moon is out or close to it.

Nights during New Year include traditional Lao music, mor-lam, and ram-wong. During the daytime almost everybody is at the temple worshipping, hoping to have a healthier and happier life in the Songkan.

Sand is brought to the temple grounds and is made into stupas or mounds. The monks and novices and local people go the sand beach and make the sand stupas as big as they like. Then the villagers brought the sand from the beach to make the sand stupas in the pagoda yard.

Traditionally, Lao people collect the fresh flowers for the Buddha images.