A float carrying a carved decorative candle.

Khao Phansa Day takes place on the day before the start of Buddhist lent. During this period of lent, monks remain within the Temple grounds and do not venture out for three months, devoting themselves to meditation and study of Buddhist Scriptures. All Buddhist men are expected to live as a monk for at least part of their life and this period of lent is traditionally the time when they would be ordained. The date of Khao Phansa Day is fixed by the lunar calendar, with lent beginning at the start of the eighth lunar month.

Khao Phansa Day is also known as "The Candle Festival". Once again, the name belies the scale of the event. In the days leading up to the festival, huge candles are cast from beeswax. They are highly decorative peices over 2 meters tall and carved with intricate patterns. On the day itself, the candles are paraded around town on decorative floats, accompanied by local dancing girls in their traditonal dress.

The parade ends at Wat Po Chai, the main and holiest temple in Nong Khai. Once they reach the temple, the candles are presented as a gift to the newly ordained monks in an elaborate ceremony. This involves the candles being carried around the Bhot (main temple building) 3 times. This circumnavigation of the Bhot 3 times is a common practice in many buddhist ceremonies and is done to pay respect to the "Tripple Gem" of the Buddhism. On the first time around the temple on thinks of the Buddha himself. On the second, one thinks of the Teachings of the Buddha. On the third, one thinks of the monks who devote themselves to the Buddha. Although not usually on this scale, candles also play an important part in Buddhist ceremonies as the give light and thus represent Buddhist Enlightenment

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