Day 1: Every year in November, under the full moon, the That Luang festival takes place. Monks and Lao from all over the country travel to Vientiane for the week long festival. The festivities start at Vat Simoung, the location of the cornerstone of the city, as revelers circle the vat (temple) three times counterclockwise, many carrying phasat pheung, which are wax castles adorned with banana leaves, flowers, money and other offerings.
Day 2: The following day a procession takes place, beginning at Vat Nongbone. Again, wax castles are carried as the procession winds its way through the city streets until it reaches That Luang. The stupa is then circled three times before the castles are placed on the skirt of the stupa. The procession lasts into the evening and is guided by the full moon and candlelight.
Day 3: The third day begins with another communal religious ceremony. Participants must arrive early to secure a coveted spot within the cloister of the stupa. Those not early enough to get a spot within the cloisture must settle for a place on the esplanade, sometimes quite a distance from the stupa itself. After the prayers and blessings, alms are given to the monks lining both the cloister and esplanade, as they are throughout the festival.
That afternoon a game of tikhee, similar to hockey but played with bamboo sticks and a bamboo ball, is played on the esplanade. In the evening, another candlelit procession three times around the stupa is performed by monks and devotees alike.
Day 4: The religious festivities end the following day with a phasat pheung procession from That Luang to Vat Inpeng.
Trade Fair: Apart from the religious festivities, the That Luang festival includes a large trade fair, so big that much of it had to be moved from the esplanade surrounding Pha That Luang across town to Lao ITECC, Vientiane's exposition center. Many festival games and food booths are part of the trade fair.