SOUTHEAST ASIAN festivals

• What is the date of the Thaipusam festival celebration?

  On the full moon of January or February
• What does the Thaipusam festival commemorate?

  It commemorates myth gods that helped vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman
• When is the Bon Om Touk festival celebrated?

  In November
• What does the Bon Om Touk festival mark?

  It marks the reversal of the flow of the Tonle Sap River
• What does the Bon Om Touk festival commemorate?

  It commemorates the end of the country’s rainy season
• What is the Bun Bang Fai festival also known as?

  Rocket festival
• Who practices the rocket fest ceremony?

  It is practiced by ethnic Lao people
• Where do the Lao people come from for the Bun Bang Fai festival?

  From villages and municipalities in Laos and Thailand
• When is the Bun Bang Fai festival performed?

  Right before the wet season
• What is Tet Nguyen Dan?

  A Vietnamese New Year celebration
• Why is Tet Nguyen Dan significant in Vietnam?

  It is the biggest and most important festival in the country
• What does Tet mark in Vietnam?

  It marks the coming of spring
• What opportunity does Tet Nguyen Dan provide for families?

  It is an opportunity for reuniting families to pay homage to their ancestors
• What is the hope associated with Tet Nguyen Dan?

  To discard troubles and hope for a better year
• When is the Phuket Festival held?

  In the ninth lunar month
• What does the Vegetarian Festival promote?

  It promotes health and peace through abstinence from meat
• What unique acts are featured during the Vegetarian Festival?

  God-mediums performing self-mortification acts as a faith test
• What are the key festivals celebrated in Southeast Asia mentioned in the study material?

  • Thaipusam Festival (Malaysia and Singapore)
  • Bon Om Touk Festival (Cambodia)
  • Bun Bang Fai Festival (Laos and Thailand)
  • Tet Nguyen Dan (Vietnam)
  • Phuket Festival (Thailand)
• What are the common themes among the festivals mentioned in the study material?

  • Celebration of seasonal changes
  • Commemoration of historical or mythological events
  • Family reunification and honoring ancestors
  • Promotion of health and peace