Vientiane (dpa) – Laos restricted water-throwing to the three days of the traditional Laos New Year on April 13-15 and banned the use of colored, dirty or iced water during the festival. “Water throwing will only be permitted over the three days of the Lao New Year holiday between the hours of 9am to 6pm,” Lao authorities told the state-owned Vientiane Times. Authorities also banned the throwing of water containing dye, dirt and ice because they could cause injuries and traffic accidents. Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand all celebrate their traditional New Year April 13-15 in what is commonly called the water festival, harking back to the region's Hindu heritage. In ancient times, the festival was marked by young people visiting their parents to receive blessing in the form of water poured on the hands held in prayer. Among youngsters, the water festival was a time of courtship with playful water throwing between the sexes. Nowadays, especially in Thailand, where the holiday lasts four days, the water festival has become a time of water-gun and water-bucket battles in the streets of Bangkok. Some people also chuck bags of water containing ice and chalk. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/kvjCM Tags: Celebration, Laos, New Year's, Water Section: Environment, Latest News, Southeast Asia
