This important national religious festival is held each year to coincide with the full moon of the 12th month of the lunar calendar, when people traditionally gather to pay homage to the Phra That Luang or Great Stupa, symbol of the Lao nation and the most important monument in the country. The festival starts with a procession of prasat pheung (wax palaces) at Wat Simuang on the evening of the 13th day of the waxing moon, in homage to the Buddha and also to honour the lak muang or district pillar and the nya mai simuang, protective spirit of the town. The prasat pheung - small palaces made from banana trunks, decorated with flowers made from wax and adorned with bank notes and other offerings - are made by families, village organisations and businesses. After making three circuits of the sim, devotees donate the prasat pheung to the monks and a firework display is held, respresenting offerings of flowers of fire to the Buddha. At midday on the second day of the waxing moon more prasat pheung are gathered at Wat Nongbone and devotees then process to Phra That Luang in honour of the Buddha and the Great Stupa. After going round Phra That Luang three times the prasat pheung are donated to the monks there. On the third day of the waxing moon the solemn takbat or offerings to the monks takes place within the cloister and, as more monks and lay people arrive, outside the complex around King Setthathirat's statue or on the esplanade. The highest state officials take place in this ceremony, which consists of paying homage to the tripitaka, saying a prayer to Phra That Luang, accepting the Five Precepts of Buddhism, pouring water onto the ground to transfer merit to the departed, and offering food and sweets to monks and novices. After the ceremony it is customary for many participants to picnic in the grounds outside the cloister, eating the festive dish khapoun (noodles with three-meat gravy and chopped vegetables) which is sold by merchants, or the traditional ping kai (barbecued chicken) and khao lam (sticky rice with coconut milk cooked in bamboo). In the afternoon a game of tikhee (similar to hockey) is held on the esplanade; traditionally this was a ritual game between officials of the government and the people in which the latter always won, but today it has become a standard sporting event involving teams from Vientiane Prefecture. The players use clubs made from bamboo roots to try to put the wooden ball into their opponents' net. Finally in the evening of the third day That Luang Festival winds up with a candlelit procession around the stupa which always attracts huge crowds and ends in a firework display, once more offering flowers of fire to the Buddha. Hundreds of stalls are set up around Phra That Luang to sell local products, and in recent years the festival has also featured an international trade fair, showcasing tourism in Laos and other ASEAN countries.