The official language spoken in Laos is Laotian or Lao. The four main ethnic groups of the country speak varying dialects of this language, most of which are mutually intelligible. The Lao language is a member of the Tai language group, sometimes known as Tai-Kadai or Kadai. Thai is well understood in Laos, since Lao people will watch Thai television and listen to Thai radio. French, English, Russian and Chinese are spoken by some members of the population, although none can be considered widely understood.

Wat Phu Festival (February) is celebrated on the full moon of the 3rd month of the lunar calendar in the grounds of the enchanting pre-Angkorian Wat Phu in Champasak. Festivities include elephant racing, buffalo fighting, cock fighting and performances of traditional Lao music and dance. Lao New Year or Pi Mai Lao usually occurs in April. This is the nation’s biggest holiday and the entire country celebrates. People remove Buddha images from the temples to anoint and clean them with scented water. Street parties that invariably involve people dowsing one another with water then follows. This is essentially an act of cleansing and purification in anticipation of the end of the dry season. Vientiane Boat Racing Festival (October) At dawn donations and offerings are made at temples throughout the city. In the evening candlelight processions are held around the temples as hundreds of candles with flowers and incense are cast into the Mekong River in thanksgiving. The following day an exciting boat race is held on the Mekong. That Luang Festival (November) is held in and around the splendid That Luang stupa. Hundreds of monks gather to accept alms and floral offerings from the people. The festival includes a grand fireworks display at night, and a trade fair, showcasing Lao products, will take place during the day.

Traditional Lao food is dry, spicy and delicious. The most commonly used ingredients are lime juice, lemon grass and coriander. The majority of Lao food uses fresh vegetables and fish, mostly freshwater fish due to the country’s landlocked location. Other popular meat dishes include chicken, duck, pork and beef. Lao food is traditionally eaten with sticky rice. In the countryside, people eat on a communal basis, sitting on the floor and sharing the dishes. One of the most common Lao dishes is Laap: a traditional food made from minced chicken or duck mixed together with lime juice, garlic and chilies and broth with uncooked rice grains that have been fried and crushed. Laap is usually eaten with a plate of raw vegetables and sticky rice.