In ASEAN, besides welcoming the New Year on January 1, there are several cultures that. celebrate New Year's Day later in the year. For example, Viet Nam, Singapore, Indonesia and parts of Malaysia follow the lunar calendar so their New Year festivities often take place in January or February. Lunar New Year is a time for them to honour ancestors, get together with family and friends, have a big family meal, and wish one another prosperity for the year to come. The streets and houses are decorated, and fireworks are lit to scare away bad luck. There are also parades, street parties, and art performances in the new year celebrations.
People in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar celebrate the arrival of the New Year according to the Buddhist calendar. Their New Year's celebrations are in April. People in these countries follow traditions such as offering rice to Buddhist monks to show their respect and receiving wishes for good luck and health from them. They decorate their homes, cook traditional dishes, and splash each other with water. There are also art performances, folk games, and dancing.
In these cultures, it is believed that water will wash away bad luck and ill health from the old year and allow people to start the new year fresh.