Almost every month of the year there is either a local festival or celebration in Luang Namtha. If you are in Luang Namtha while any of the festivals are taking place you will surely be welcomed and asked to join the fun . Please feel free to participate, however do remember that as most of the festivals are based on religious beliefs your local hosts will appreciate it if you respect local codes of behavior.

Major Buddhist Festivals

February
•  Boun Maka Bousa - This festival is held on the full moon to commemorate the speech given by the Lord Buddha to 1,250 enlightened monks that gathered spontaneously, without prior notice. In the evening, the faithful visit local temples and circumambulate the Vat three times with candles in a ceremony known as Vien Tian.

•  Boun Khao Chi - A special offering of sticky rice is coated with eggs then roasted and offered to monks. This ceremony is associated with Maka Bousa.

May
•  Boun Visakha Bousa - This festival celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Lord Buddha. It is held on the 15th day of the sixth lunar month. Beautiful candlelit processions take place in the evening.

July
•  Boun Kao Pansa - This festival, held on the full moon, marks the beginning of Buddhist lent, a three months period where monks are required to stay within their Vat (Temple) to meditate and focus on darma studies. Lao men are traditionally ordained as monks during this time.

August
•  Boun Khao Pa Dap Din - Special offerings are made to the deceased on the new moon of the 9th lunar month.

September
•  Boun Khao Salak - Offerings including daily necessities such as books, pens, sugar and coffee are made to specific monks based on a lottery system. Laypeople also give beautiful wax flower candles to the monks to gain merit.

October
•  Boun Ork Pansa - Held on the full moon which marks the end of the rainy season, monks who were ordained for the three months lent period leave the Vat and rejoin their families. During the evening of Van Ork Pansa, in a charming ceremony small banana-leaf boats called Heua Fai are launched on rivers with offerings of incence candles and small amount of money to bring luck and prosperity.

November
•  Boun That Xieng Teung - Muang Sing's most famous festival attracts large crowds of people from around the province as well as Tai Lue Buddhists from for away Myanmar, China and Thailand.

Other Local Festivals

January
•  Akha and Lahu New Year
•  Hmong New Year
•  Seda New Year
•  Lanten and Yao New Year
•  Panna and Tai Neua New year
•  "Spirit of the New Rice Festival" by Khmu and Mon-khmer     speaking ethnic groups.

February
•  That Phoum Pouk Festival in Namtha District
•  Chinese New Year
•  Tai Dam Festival

April
•  "Kao Ban Festival" by the Akha ethnic group
•  "Pii Mai Lao" Lao New Year
•    "Poi Festival" (means Rocket Festival) in Muang Sing by     Tai lue ethnic groups

May
• "Boun Bang Fai" or Rocket Festival in Luang Namtha

June
•  "Feeding the spirit of the City Pillar" Lao Yuan ethnic group.
•  "Vor Salee Festival" by Lahu ethnic group

September
•  "Swidden RiceField Festival" by the Lahu ethnic group      before the harvest.

October
•  Boun Souang Heua (boat races in Namtha District)