The Lao calendar has
a 12-year cycle which has relations to the lunar calendar and the
correlating 12 animals (which is similar to the Chinese tradition).
Here is a list of all the animal years:
Year of the Rat - bpee
swat
Year of the Ox - bpee salu
Year of the Tiger - bpee khan
Year of the Rabbit - bpee toh
Year of the Dragon - bpee malong
Year of the Snake - bpee masaeng
Year of the Horse - bpee mameea
Year of the Goat - bpee mamae
Year of the Monkey - bpee wohk
Year of the Rooster - bpee langka
Year of the Dog - bpee chau
Year of the Pig - bpee khoun
It is said that in Lao
tradition and fables that the year of the animal you were born in,
is the animal in which who brought or carried you, metaphorically
speaking. Further, the animal also represents certain personality
traits in you. (For Lao months & days please head over to our
Lao Language section).
Buddhist Calendar.
Buddhism has influenced Lao culture and religious values from centuries
ago. The calendar is also dictated by Buddhism.
The major dates in
Buddhism are:
1)
Birth date: Full moon day on May 623 BCE
2) Going-forth:
age 29, 594 BCE
3) Enlightenment:
age 35, on Full moon day May 588 BCE
4) Parinibbana
(his physical death), after teaching for 45 years, on Full moon
day 543 BCE.
Measurement Methods:
i)
The first method of the Buddhist calendar is the official and most
often used. The first day of Year 1 of the Buddhist calender
started on Full moon day May 21, 543 BCE, the day of parinibbana.
To calculate add 543 to the present Gregorian Year (ie. 2001) to acquire
the current Buddhist Year.
ii) Similarly, to calculate the number of years since his birth,
add 623 to the current Western year plus 1 for the new Buddha Day.
Many Theravada Buddhists
countries including Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka still
use these dates in addition to common Western dates.
Lao Year
