Laos National Day (December 2): History & Celebrations

Lao National Day is celebrated on December 2. On this day in 1975, the monarchy was abolished and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic was proclaimed in Vientiane, ending decades of war and foreign intervention. It is the most important national holiday in Laos.

At a glance
Date	December 2 every year
Year	1975
Marks	Proclamation of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic
First President	Prince Souphanouvong
First Prime Minister	Kaysone Phomvihane
Capital	Vientiane
National symbol	Pha That Luang, the great golden stupa

A Short History of Modern Laos

Year	Event
1353	Fa Ngum founds the Kingdom of Lan Xang (“Land of a Million Elephants”)
1893	Laos becomes part of French Indochina
1953	Laos gains full independence from France as a kingdom
1954–1975	Civil war and the wider Indochina conflict
1964–1973	Laos becomes the most heavily bombed country per person in history
December 2, 1975	King Sisavang Vatthana abdicates; the Lao PDR is proclaimed
1997	Laos joins ASEAN
2021	The Laos–China railway opens

A Legacy of War: Unexploded Ordnance

During the Vietnam War era, more than two million tonnes of ordnance were dropped on Laos. Many cluster submunitions did not explode, and they still injure farmers and children today. Clearing unexploded ordnance (UXO) remains a national priority, and Laos even has its own Sustainable Development Goal — SDG 18: Lives Safe from UXO.

How National Day Is Celebrated

• Official ceremonies in Vientiane, with speeches and flag-raising.
• Red, blue and white flags with the white moon on homes and streets, often alongside the hammer-and-sickle party flag.
• Parades, concerts and fireworks in major towns.
• Lao food — sticky rice, larb (minced meat salad) and tam mak hoong (papaya salad).
• Visits to That Luang and temples, especially as the That Luang festival is held in the same season.

👉 Also December 2: UAE National Day

👉 Plan ahead: All December holidays

Laos at a Glance

Fact	Detail
Population	About 7.7 million
Geography	The only landlocked country in Southeast Asia; the Mekong River runs along much of its western border
Religion	Theravada Buddhism is practised by most people
UNESCO sites	Luang Prabang, Vat Phou and the Plain of Jars
Currency	Kip

Must-See Places in Laos

• Luang Prabang — the old royal capital, famous for its temples and the dawn alms-giving procession of monks.
• Pha That Luang in Vientiane — the golden stupa that appears on the national emblem.
• Plain of Jars — hundreds of ancient stone jars scattered across the Xieng Khouang plateau.
• Kuang Si Falls — turquoise pools near Luang Prabang.
• Si Phan Don — the “4,000 islands” of the Mekong in the south.

The That Luang Festival

Held around the full moon of the twelfth lunar month — usually in November — the That Luang Festival is the biggest religious celebration in Laos. Thousands of monks and pilgrims gather in Vientiane for candlelit processions and offerings, and it often runs in the weeks before National Day, giving the capital a festive atmosphere.

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