“Khau ho” (wrapped rice) is a traditional ceremony deeply rooted in the agricultural beliefs of the Lao ethnic community. The festival, held on the 15^th day of the eighth lunar month annually, is to pray for favourable weather conditions and bumper crops, and to show gratitude to ancestors and gods who have blessed their descendants with a year of smooth business and prosperity.

It featured both ceremonial and festive parts. The ceremonial part included a buffalo sacrifice ritual, a “Khau ho” offering ceremony at the Muong Va temple and tower, praying for good luck, and thread bracelet tying. A shaman performed these rituals to express gratitude to ancestors and gods, and to pray for a bumper crops. The thread bracelet tying ritual was to wish each other good health, good luck, and successes.

Among the offerings, apart from “Ho khau”, there were various fruits like watermelon, guava, lychee and banana, and candles or oil lamps, which were placed in the middle of the house, near the ancestral altar. After the offering ceremony, hosts and guests enjoyed the food together and distribute the offerings to everyone.

The festive part featured cultural, art and sport activities, along with folk games such as stick pushing, tug-of-war, to mak le, nem con (throwing a ball through a ring for good luck), and “bit mat bat vit” (catching a duck while blindfolded). There were also cultural exchanges between communes, and an exhibition showcasing local agricultural products.

The “Khau ho” festival left good impressions on visitors with the unique culture, solidarity, and spiritual aspirations of the Lao ethnic community. At the end of the festival, the organising committee awarded six first and six second prizes, and some third and consolation prizes to the participating teams in the sport event and traditional games.