Khmer New Year
Among those in Asia, Cambodia is a country which has its own
tradition since ancient time. Due to this fact, Cambodia has many traditional
ceremonies to be annually celebrated. One of the most prestigious one is the
New Year Ceremony. Khmer New Year ceremony is divided into three days and
normally started on 13th or 14th of
April every year. During this occasion, Cambodian people have a lot of fun and
also many things to prepare and do.
During
a few days before ceremony, people actively respectively prepare their houses.
Some clean the yard and the house by making sure that there is no rubbish in
the yard and no spider net or any kinds of unpleasant looking things to be seen
in the house. They decorate prepare their altar of their house using candles,
incenses and such ornaments as flowers, balloons, leaves and some kinds of
fruit such as apples, bananas, pineapples, oranges and many other kinds of
fruit, soft-drinks and decorating things depending on how much they can afford.
On
the first day of the ceremony, which is called “Moha SongKran”, people need to
make some preparations for the main day of the feast. On that day, they are
listening to the radio or TV and waiting for the announcement of the New Year
coming and to light the pre-installed candles and incenses to welcome the New
Year heavenly being, Theravada. In the morning of the same day, people prepare
some foods for the venerable monks and also build some sand mounts near the
pagoda temple or under the banyan tree. Then, in the evening, they come back
and prepare some soft-drinks for the monks.
The
second day of the ceremony is called “Varak VanBatt”. On this is the day people
pay the respect to their parents and relatives and continue the preparation for
the main day. In the morning, people visit their parents or relative and give
them some money or presents to show their loves and respects. In the evening,
they continue their preparation on the sand mounts assume it to be a mount
called “Veluka Chetey” and make some pray and dedicate the merit to their
parents or ancestors who have passed away.
The
third day is the “Varak LerngSak” day. On this day, people show their loves and
respects to their parents and the religion. In the morning, they invite
venerable monks to dedicate the sand mount to be the real mount and then no one
can touch that mount until the ceremony is finished. In the evening, people
bathe and perfume the Buddha statues as well as their parents. During this new
year event, people meet their parents and relatives and play the traditional
games and can somehow make new bonds with new people.
Although
the Khmer New Year seems to require a lot of preparations, it is still a
meaningful ceremony among those cerebrated in the country. It gives a lot of
fun and the senses of respect to the people in the nationwide. It is also the
identity of Cambodia. So, we Cambodians should firmly conserve and respect this
good tradition of our nation and try to promote it to the world.
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