Khmer New Year

            Are there any special days for Cambodian people to have enough time for the family reunion? Surely, almost countries around the world normally have a special international holiday for their citizens to have enough time to meet their family with pleasant after under along of works pressure. That’s not much different from Cambodia, Pchhum Benh Festival, Water Festival, King’s Birthday and Khmer New Year are the biggest holidays for Cambodian people. Among all of those national holidays, Khmer New Year is the only greatest festival which all of Cambodian people always celebrated for 3days on every 14, 15 and 16 of April every year.

            The first day of Khmer New Year is called “Moha Sangkran”. Before this New Year happen, everyone seem very busy to cleaned everything around their house both inside the house and outside the house ​and also garnished the table with a bunch of flowers, fruits, beverages, especially a bowl of water mix with perfume to prepared to welcome the new angel of the year who name “KorokakDevy”  which was the second daughter of “Kaberl Mohaprum” to take care the whole earth. During the first day of Khmer New Year some families which totally have a real blood of Khmer, they offered the foods to their ancestors to bring them with happiness and peace.

            The second day of Khmer New Year is called “Virak Wanabot”.​ This is the offering day of the year to offer the gift to parents, grandparents or other relative which older than us. Moreover, we also can train the mind toward goodness by donate some money, clothes and other items to poor people or beggars. Furthermore, they offered the food to the monk to get blesses. Besides, they build up the stupas of sand to detach of karma that we have done with something bad before. At the night time, sound of traditional songs was rumbled in the whole village and there were a lot of teenager and including some older people, they were dancing with happiness and peace.

            Finally, the third day of Khmer New Year is called “Virak Lerngsak”. It’s the last day of Khmer New Year celebration. For this last day, we have to complete the last ceremony. That ceremony is to giving a special bath to the Buddha statues, parents, grandparents to apologize about the mistakes that we had done on them before. In several villages,​​ they played the traditional games such as Jol Chhung, Teanh Prot, Bos Orngkunh, Sdach Jong and so on. They played those kind of traditional games to make their villagers have a strong solidarity with each other. Not only about that, during these New Year 3 days there was a really big event that has a lot of other activities including such as concerts, playing traditional game, exhibition of Khmer food, chess competition and so on. This event celebrated every year at Angkor temples area named as “Angkor SorngKran” and there were a lot of Cambodian people from everywhere including foreigners enjoy this event with happiness and joyful.

            Total overall, Khmer New Year celebration is the meaningful and biggest ceremony ever among other ceremonies, that’s why people they decided to go their hometown to meet their family. But it’s a bit pity for a few people including me that have to live in silent city with no sound such a ghost city because large amount of people they had left the city for a few days. Finally, I just would like to recommend to everyone that have a beloved family at the hometown should visit them at least one time on Khmer New Year days because it’s the best day to show your love and your gratitude to them.