Dokkhoun – New Year’s flower in Laos

Visitors to Laos in April every year will see a yellow flower blooming on the streets or in the gardens, which is the dokkhoun flower – as the Vietnamese call it, the Hoang Yen flower. This flower only blooms on the occasion of the New Year Bounpimay.

Dokkhoun flower has the full name in Lao as “Dooc-may-mung-khun” which means the flower brings luck and prosperity to everyone. Therefore, every year, on the occasion of the Boupimay New Year, Ms. Bouachan – Ban Hongke, Saysettha district, Vientiane capital, Laos, together with her family members, pick dokkhoun flowers to prepare fragrant water to bathe Buddha and perform the ritual of praying. Happy new year to everyone. According to the government’s COVID-19 prevention and control requirements, for two years now, Ms. Bouachan has not gone out to pick dokkhoun flowers on the streets as before, but only picked flowers from the dokkhoun tree in her family’s garden to make perfume.

“Dokkhoun is an indispensable flower in fragrant water to bathe Buddha and sprinkle on people and objects to pray for good luck during the Lao New Year. In addition, dokkhoun is also used to tie at the door of the house, at the gate, in the car, said in general wherever we feel the need to pray for good luck,” Ms. Bouachan said.

Originating from Sri Lanka, the dokkhoun flower is now commonly grown in the provinces of Laos and northeastern Thailand. Many Lao families also plant dokkhoun flowers in the garden or in front of the gate to beautify their house.

Master Okath Pethsisanovong – Simeuang Temple, Vientaine, Lao PDR said: “According to the belief in Laos, whoever offers dokkhoun flowers to the Buddha, that person will have the strength to defeat all enemies, study well and become a successful person. a smart person. Whoever drops dokkhoun flowers in water to bathe the Buddha, that person will fulfill all his dreams and accumulate many merits.”

If the Champa flower is honored as the national flower, the symbol of Laos, the dokkhoun flower is the flower associated with Bunpimay Tet. According to the concept of Lao people, the dokkhoun flower is also a flower symbolizing transparency, energy, optimism, wisdom, honor, joy, and bringing people a lot of luck and a prosperous life. , happy.

Happy Tet Bunpimay in the Vietnam – Laos border area

VTV.vn – Ladies and gentlemen, this year’s traditional Laotian New Year Bunpimay takes place from April 14-16, on this occasion people often have water splashing activities to pray for good luck and peace for the whole year.

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