Ruptly
"Millions celebrated Laos' traditional New Year festival of Bunpimay, with water-splashing rituals, ceremonies and public gatherings taking place in Vientiane and other towns across the country. Footage filmed on Wednesday shows festival-goers moving through central streets with water guns and hoses. Crowds gathered into the night as music played across festival areas. Observed annually from April 13 to 16, the festival is the country's main holiday and involves more than water-splashing. The ritual of pouring water is intended to convey blessings for health, prosperity and good fortune in the year ahead. "Today I'm here to celebrate Bunpimay in Sihom. I feel happy and excited to meet so many friends," one participant shared. "It was much more crowded than yesterday, when there were fewer people. Many people stayed out until late at night. Today it's very crowded; all the restaurants and shops are packed with customers," another added. Water is central to the celebration and is believed to symbolically cleanse the spirit and remove bad luck from the previous year. Authorities encourage locals and visitors to take part respectfully as the Lao New Year marks the end of the dry season and is celebrated nationwide by nearly 8 million people."
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