have Wat Lao and a large community of Laotians in France. But the most important Bun Bang Fai has been celebrated at Wat Lao Bouddhanimit in Bretignolles, a small town located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in the west of France. Each year, this festival brings together participants from Lao communities from the various regions of France. In the United States there are more than forty Wat Lao as there are many Laotian Americans living in states like California, Minnesota, Washington, and others. Around the Spring of each year, the Lao communities gather to celebrate Bun Bang Fai in Wat Lao in these states. The celebration in both the United States and France lasts two days and proceeds as in Laos, beginning with a religious ceremony followed by a display and parade of rockets in the Wat with traditional Lao dance on the sound of Soeng Bang Fai music. Unlike in Laos, however, the procession does not conclude in the firing of the rockets as they are not allowed to be launched because of safety measures. Instead, only very small hand-crafted rockets are launched by those who carry them about. These Bun Bang Fai provide an excellent opportunity to bring together people from Lao communities living in their respective new countries, the United States and France, to interact, reunite and have fun together. Furthermore, people from non-Lao communities, buddhist and non-buddhist, take part in the celebration. These include people from the Thai communities, most of whom are originally from the Northeastern region of Thailand and who share many cultures and traditions with Lao people. Lao Bang Fai on display in the National Air and Space Museum Mr. Frank H. Winter, curator of Rocketry Division of the National Air and Space Museum stated that: “Lao Rocket is special and unique that has a thousand years of traditional celebration associated with this great looking rocket. It would be wonderful to have a Lao Rocket on display in the National Air and Space Museum so that the public can learn from it.” In 2005, Lao Bang Fai was chosen to be displayed along with many great artifacts from various countries at the National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia. The National Air and Space Museum is a part of the Smithsonian Institution of the United States of America. The deputy abbot of Wat Lao Buddhavong in Virginia acknowledged that “this event is historic