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Visit Laos > Culture and traditions
Language
There are about 5.3 million inhabitants, 50% of whom are Laos, as well as Theung Laos or Khas, Hmongs and Yaos. The country also includes minority populations of Vietnamese and Chinese, exclusively in the cities.
The official language is Lao, but each tribe also has its own language. French is still spoken by the older generation and English is being learned by many young people.
Religion
The official religion is Theravada Buddhism (60% of the population). The mountain people are usually animists. Christianity is practiced by some of the old upper classes, a remnant of the French occupation, and there is a small Muslim community in the capital, descendants of Arab and Indian merchants who settled in Laos.
February: Makha Bouça: commemoration of the Buddha's sermon estblishing the basic rules of monastic life and predicting his own death.
Vietnamese Têt and Chinese New Year: celebrated in the main cities by fireworks. An occasion for getting together with friends.
Hmong New Year: a joyous pagan celebration in Hmong villages.
Mid-April: Lunar New Year. In vats (temples), the faithful make offerings of fruits and flowers before the altars, then take to the streets and sprinkle themselves with water. The festival is particularly picturesque in Luang Prabang, where an elephant parade takes place.
May: Bun Bang Fai: the "rocket festival," a great collective letting off of steam with processions that end with rocket launches.
July: Khao Phansa - a strictly religious holiday marking the beginning of the monks' traditional rainy season retreat.
November: That Luang, the full moon festival, that takes place in Pha That Luang in Vientiane, is worth a detour. After a week of music and incessant fireworks, the celebrations end with a torchlight retreat into the magical setting of That Luang. Dugout canoe festival in Luang Prabang.
December 2: National holiday
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