Cambodia
Festivals and Events
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JANUARY
Victory Day Over Genocide
Victory Day Over Genocide is a national holiday in Cambodia.
It marks the fall of the Khmer Rouge and an end to a dark
and sad chapter in its history with remembrance services,
exhibitions and cultural displays.
FEBRUARY
Meak Bochea Day
Meak Bochea Day which is known as “Fourfold Assembly” or
“Sangha Day’is one of the most important Buddhist
celebrations falling on the full oon day of the third lunar
month (about last week of February or early of March).
It marks four historic occasions which happened nine months
after the Enlightenment of the Lord Buddha at Veluvana
Bamboo Grove, near Rajagaha in Northern India. In hist ory
2500 years ago, four events, which are considered miracles
in Buddhist doctrine, took place. The first was the
spontaneous getting together of 1,250 enlightened disciples
or arahats of Buddha. They had heard through the grapevine
that Buddha was going to be present at the Veluwan temple in
what is now the state of Bihar in Northern India.
Secondly, Buddha had personally ordained each of these
monks. Thirdly, each monk turned up without making a prior
appointment. Lastly, all these happened on the day of the
full moon during the third lunar month.
Buddha gave the assembly a discourse “Ovadha Patimokha”
laying down the principles of His Teachings summarised into
three acts, i.e. to do good, to abstain from bad action and
to purify the mind.
Chinese New Year
This is the New Year of both the Chinese and Vietnamese
lunar calendar. It’s not an official holiday, but widely
celebrated in Cambodia, due to the large number of people of
Chinese and Vietnamese descent who run much of Cambodia's
business enterprises. Many shops will close for a few days.
MARCH
International Women's Day
International
Women's Day is celebrated with marches, gatherings and
cultural events.
APRIL
Cambodian New Year (Chaul Chhnam Thmey)
Cambodian New Year (Chaul
Chhnam Thmey) Celebrated for 3 days after the end of the
harvest to mark the turn of the year according to the
Buddhist lunar calendar and at the same time as the Thai New
Year. Every home is decorated to please the Heaven God,
shrines are filled with food and traditional games
performed. Many people can be seen on the streets armed with
small bags of water and water pistols to bless people
passing by. Crowds congregate at the Wat Phom in Phnom Penh
and flock from the provinces to Angkor to petition for
blessings in the year ahead.
During the first day or Koha Sonkran, the Cambodians make
offerings and prayers at local temples and wash themselves
with holy water at various times of the day.
Wanabat or Day 2 is a day of service to the poor, homeless
and needy, and on the final day or Long Sakk, the Cambodians
clean their elders and Buddha statues with perfumed water as
an act to invite good luck and happiness. In Phnom Penh, the
Cambodian royal family calls upon the king to promise
allegiance and to wish him good health. The day continues
such entertainment as boxing, elephant and horse races and a
royal procession.
MAY
Visaka Bochea Day - Birthday of Buddha
Visaka Bochea
Day - Birthday of Buddha Often referred to as ‘Buddha's
birthday,’ the holiday actually takes in the birth,
enlightenment and passing of Buddha. The faithful attend
pagoda, make offerings and engage in kind and charitable
acts and reverent behavior.
Royal Ploughing Ceremony (Bonn Chroat Preah
Nongkoal)
Royal Ploughing
Ceremony (Bonn Chroat Preah Nongkoal) Cambodia has a deep
connnection with the Earth and farming, and there is a deep
astrological belief that the Ox has an instrumental role in
determining the fate of the agricultural harvest each year .
So the Royal Ploughing ceremony marks the beginning of the
rainy season and the planting season. The ceremony is led by
the King or other high officia. Adorned sacred cows plough a
sacred furrow and then are led to trays containing rice,
corn, beans and other foods. Cows are given a variety of
crops to eat. Based on the choices of crops eaten,
predictions are made for the coming year's harvest.
Ceremonies are usually held next to the Royal Palace, in
front of the National Museum. For this festival both men and
women can be seen wearing brightly colored traditional Khmer
costume.
Birthday of the King
The birthday of His
Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromoneath NORODOM
SIHAMONI's. During king's birthday, no festivities, only a
giant firework display is held close to the riverbanks in
front of the Royal Palace in Phnompenh.
JUNE/JULY
Royal Birthday of H.M Queen Mother Norodom
Monineath Sihanouk
SEPTEMBER
Constitution Day
Constitution
Day is celebrated as a national holiday in Cambodia on
September 24th each year. It marks the signing of a new
constitution on that same day in 1993 by King Norodom
Sihanouk, two years after the signing of the Paris Peace
accords, during which all parties agreed to free and fair
elections.
It was shortly after this day that Sihanouk was reinstated
as king, having abdicated in the throne 1955 to enter a
career in politics. Consequently, Sept 24th is also
identified as the Recoronation of H.M Preah Bat Samdech
Preah Norodom Sihanouk. He ruled until 2004 when he
abdicated in favor of his son, King Sihamoni Norodom.
Pchum Ben Day
Pchum Ben Day
This is the most culturally and religiously significant
event of the year and is celebrated in September. This
festival of souls concentrates on blessing the souls of
ancestors, relatives, and friends who have passed away. All
Buddhist temples, especially Wat Phnom, are the focal points
for this festival. Before the waking of dawn and every day
for 15 days during Pchum Ben, Cambodians throughout the
country walk around temples three times, carrying plates of
coned-shaped sticky rice. They complete the ritual by
flinging the rice into the air to feed the spirits of their
ancestors who walk the earth during Pchum Ben, Cambodia’s
Festival of the Dead.
OCTOBER
Former King Sihanouk's Birthday
Royal Coronation of King Sihamoni
No festivities, only evening fireworks on the river front in
Phnom Penh.
Bonn Kathen
A religious festival when monks come out of retreat, and
people all over the country march in processions to the wats,
following musicians l oudly drumming the traditional Chha-
Yam drums. Saffron robes are everywhere during this
festival. Monks change their old saffron robes for the new
ones offered by the devotees, an action that brings
spiritual merit to all participants. This festival, also
known as Monk’s Robes Festival, lasts for 29 days from
October, with the actual start day determined by the lunar
calendar. It commences 15 days after the completion of Bonn
Pchum Ben, the Cambodian Festival of the Dead, and really
marks the end of Buddhist Lent.
NOVEMBER
Water festival
The annual three-day Water Festival competes with the Khmer
New Year for being the most important holiday for
Cambodians. The boat races on the Tonle Sap and the carnival
atmosphere ashore attract millons of people from all over
the country.
A smaller Water Festival is held around Angkor Wat, but for
the real thing you'll have to go to Phnom Penh.
In Khmer the annual Water Festival is called Bonn Om Toeuk.
The festival marks the changing of the flow of the Tonle Sap
and is also seen as thanksgiving to the Mekong River for
providing the country with fertile land and abundant fish.
It is at this time when the river flow reverts to its normal
down stream direction. The remarkable phenomenon that is the
Tonle Sap sees the river flowing upstream during the rainy
season and then change direction as the rains cease and the
swollen Tonle Sap Lake empties back into the Mekong River
leaving behind vast quantities of fish. Over three days
starting with the last full moon day in October or the
beginning of November up to a million people from all walks
of life from all over the country flock to the banks of
Tonle Sa p and Mekong Rivers in Phnom Penh to watch hundreds
of brightly colored boats with over 50 paddlers battle it
out for top honors. The boat racing dates back to ancient
times marking the strengths of the powerful Khmer marine
forces during the Khmer empire. In the evening brightly
decorated floats cruise along the river prior to and
complimenting the fireworks displays. There is often a
parallel festival at Angkor Wat and although it is smaller
in scale it is just as impressive due to the backdrop of
Angkor Wat.
Independence day
A national holiday on November 9th to celebrate the
independence of Cambodia from France in 1953. This important
ceremony takes place at the site of the Independence
Monument at the juntion of Norodom and Sihanouk Boulevards.
There are grand parade s in front of the Royal Palace with
spectacular floats, marching bands and banners are stretched
across the boulevards as expressions of national pride. The
center of the activity is the lotus shaped Independence
Monument where the King lights the inside torch which will
remain burning for three days, as a symbol of the nation’s
soul and pride. All over the city flags adorn the shop
fronts and bunting stretched over all the main thoroughfares
as a sign of national pride. Fireworks at night on the river
front.
DECEMBER
Angkor Half Marathon
Angkor Half Marathon - international Half marathon is held
at the w orld renowned Angkor Wat an event which attracts
competitors from all over the world. With thousands of
spectators and the wonder of Angkor Wat, it is a spectacular
setting.
International Human Rights Day
Angkor Festival
This festival is a showcase of performing arts with Angkor
Wat as a backdrop. Performers from all over Asia attend this
festival performing great epic stories from myths and
legends, including the Ramayana, with their own national
dance costumes and musical and rhythmic interpretations.
Former King Sihanouk often attends when he is in residence
in Siem Reap and other dignitaries come to witness this
wonderful spectacle..
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