425. Laotian Festivals in November

 I missed the October 19 Loy Kathong festival at the exotic Lao temple on Airport Road this year. This major festival is also celebrated in Thailand and Myanmar. So I looked up the temple’s web-site and discovered two more festivals next month. They are not as well known as the Loy Kathong with its floating lighted candles in lotus flower holders. But I’ll try to go there for more than obvious reasons.

 

Wat Lao Veluwanaram Temple, Caledon. Image copyright ©2013 Ruth Lor Malloy

 The Tuckbath Boon Kathina is on Sunday, Nov. 3, and the Tuckbath Boon Phra Thatluang is on Sunday, November 17. Both start about 10am.

The Kathina or Katina is a festival where worshipers bring gifts of clothing for the monks. A report of such a festival, though a Sri Lankan one, is in our blog: https://www.torontomulticulturalcalendar.com/2010/11/02/sri-lankan-robe-procession/. The temples are Buddhist.

A report about the importance of the Thatluang in Laos is on: http://mypublicholiday.com/pha-that-luang-festival.html. I’ll tell you more about it after I’ve been there but I expect it will include more gifts to monks and a procession around the stupa. Of course Toronto’s event won’t be as elaborate because the Laotian community here is very small. But going to a Laotian festival here might give us all a chance to experience one aspect of that lovely little country.

 

I have a special reason to want to bring back nostalgic feelings of my visits there. My husband proposed marriage to me in its romantic ancient capital of Luang Prabang one evening long ago.

 Wat Lao Veluwanaram is at 17969 Airport Road in Caledon East. Its telephone is: 905-584-6886.

 So you won’t miss any more of its festivals this year, its calendar is at:

 http://www.watlao-veluwanh.com/Wat%20Lao%202013%20Calendar.pdf

 Please let us know what happens to you when you go there. Ruth