Original report from Phnom Penh
14 April 2009
Cambodians joyously celebrated the first day of the New Year early Tuesday, in celebrations that began at 1:36 am with fireworks exploding over Phnom Penh.
The nation’s 14 million revelers brought in the Year of the Ox, the 2553rd year of the Buddhist calendar, preparing for three days of celebrations and ritual.
“Not specifically for this year, but every New Year, Cambodian citizens must prepare flowers, fruits, Baysei [religious decorations], water and drink offerings to the goddesses, who come down [from the sky] annually to protect human beings,” said Miech Ponn, adviser to the board of Khmer customs at the Buddhist Institute in Phnom Penh.
“The preparations for the goddess must also respect the preferences of the goddess, what kind of fruit she eats this year,” he said. “For example, if the goddess eats bananas, it is mandatory that believers must have bananas.”
Seven goddesses of the Kabel Morha Prumh rotate from the sky to watch over the country, he said. This year is for the third goddess, Reak Ksaksar Devy, who has a predilection for blood—denoting a year of possible bloodshed, such as in war and accidents, he said.
While appeasing the goddess, Cambodians will also undertake Buddhist rituals, meditating for their ancestors and washing statues of Buddha, while also engaging in tradition folk games that include hiding a scarf for the Leak Kanseng and others.
The nation’s 14 million revelers brought in the Year of the Ox, the 2553rd year of the Buddhist calendar, preparing for three days of celebrations and ritual.
“Not specifically for this year, but every New Year, Cambodian citizens must prepare flowers, fruits, Baysei [religious decorations], water and drink offerings to the goddesses, who come down [from the sky] annually to protect human beings,” said Miech Ponn, adviser to the board of Khmer customs at the Buddhist Institute in Phnom Penh.
“The preparations for the goddess must also respect the preferences of the goddess, what kind of fruit she eats this year,” he said. “For example, if the goddess eats bananas, it is mandatory that believers must have bananas.”
Seven goddesses of the Kabel Morha Prumh rotate from the sky to watch over the country, he said. This year is for the third goddess, Reak Ksaksar Devy, who has a predilection for blood—denoting a year of possible bloodshed, such as in war and accidents, he said.
While appeasing the goddess, Cambodians will also undertake Buddhist rituals, meditating for their ancestors and washing statues of Buddha, while also engaging in tradition folk games that include hiding a scarf for the Leak Kanseng and others.
4 comments:
Wow! what out ah Kwack if you can!
Chet roy, Ah Hok Landy, waiting for you!
Dont you have any thing to say? Be reasonable, nice when a welcome New Year. Clean your hatred!
this chol chnam thmey, it's time to get rid of bad habit and hate and other bad karma and please be kind and forgive those who trespass against us. may god bless cambodia and all the beautiful khmer people and citizens all over the world.
THE CAMBODIAN NEW YEAR CELEBRATION
The Cambodian people have always performed the New Year Celebration since the ancient time. At the present, the New Year Celebration is the biggest event for the Cambodian nationality. It is a special time for the Cambodian family, as well as all individuals. The New Year Celebration is made and determined by the system horoscope of Buddhism which is called MOHA SANG KRANN that informs us the New Year celebration is on the 12th, 13th, and 14th of April for most of the year. Sometimes we celebrate it in the month of May.
We use Buddha's washed water to wash our faces, head, and the body. Using this kind of water is related to the belief of three enigmas and their solutions are being practiced by all of us to this present time:
- First, in the morning we at least wash our faces, or take a shower, because we need beauty, prosperity, charm, luck, chance, and power. The beauty is most important for us.
- Second, at noon time we use water to slap at our chests for the prosperity, and healthiness.
-Third, at the evening time before we go to bed at least we wash our feet for healthiness, good sleeping, and/or for a well dream.
According to the tradition and the custom, the New Year Celebration takes place for three days. It consists of the following:
-The first day is called the day of MOHAR CHANG-KRANN, (Wishing, Praying )
-The second day is called the day of VANNA-BATH, (Basic of a pure/noble nature)
-The third day is called the day of LOEUNG SAK, (Lucky/ Refreshing).
(In short, this three days celebration is performed to enhance our annual self-awareness).
During the New Year Celebration, people tour far, some tour at the mountains, some tour at the rivers, beach, castles, and the places of Cambodian Heroes. The Cambodian people must show friendliness and happiness. We come together to prepare food for the three days event. We clean up, and decorate our homes. We buy new clothes for the family. When the days arrive, first we prepare things to welcome a new angel. The things we prepare for the new angel are 5 candles, 5 incenses, 5 pieces of popped-rice, a bowl of perfume, fruits, cigarettes, areca palm, and soda drinks. Some people offer new angel with a pair of BAAY SAY and a pair of BAAY SAY PARCHAM. It is made from section of banana-tree trunk. It is standing with three legs. Each BAAY SAY has 5 layers of banana's leaves rolled up in the finger shapes that are attached to banana-tree trunk. It can be also used for a different ceremony.
At night, before first day of New Year and while it's about time for new angel to arrive, the children, relatives, and family members come and sit together close to the place we decorated. It is ready to welcome new angel. In Cambodia, we would hear drummed noise, or gong's noises. The sounds would be temple to temple and village to village. This is indicated that the new angel is arriving, then we light various sizes of candles, incenses to welcome the new angle and ask for peace, liberty, healthiness, happiness and so on. Some people pray to the Buddha.
THEN THE THREE DAYS OF NEW YEAR CELEBRATION BEGIN
THE FIRST DAY OF NEW YEAR
On the first day of New Year in the morning, we bring food to the temple and pray with the monks, then we build several mountain's sand (It represents the Buddha's stupa) together at the temple, and around the bodhi trees in the Pagoda. Building the mountain's sand is to indicate the Buddha about our good wishing. We believe that we will receive a lot of luck and liberty because it is used to represent and to worship the Buddha who is our teacher and the master living at the heaven. This is a great honor to the Buddha and it is splendid to show him our respects. At the afternoon time, men, women, children, boys, girls, play traditional games together. Some people travel from far. At night, we listen the Buddhist monks preach of the sermon, and we recite with the Buddhist monks our protective prayers.
THE SECOND DAY OF THE NEW YEAR
We follow the tradition of our parents and grand parents by doing good deeds. We would give them clothes, cakes, food, and money. We donate money, clothes to the servants or the poor people. At the evening ceremony, again we build the mountain's sand and we recite a protective prayer, then we invite the Buddhist monks to do the worship and pray to spirit or the souls of our parents, or our ancestors.
THE THIRD DAY OF THE NEW YEAR
In the morning, we invite monks to finish worships building the mountain's sand. At the evening time, we start to wash the Buddha's status which we call "SRUONG PRASS." The third day of the New Year Celebration at the evening time we finish the celebration. All elderly people who practice Buddhist religion would perform regularly to wash Buddha's status. This is the special ritual that we need to be performed at each temple through out the entire country.
We worship the Buddha because he provides us the shades (self-awareness). Another part is the belief of washing Buddha is to ask for rain to the farmers. We take Buddha washed water to wash our body, faces to get the prosperity, charm, luck, chance, power, and for our long life.
In the conclusion, most places before finishing this New Year Celebration on the last day at noon time, some groups play pouring the water, powder, or perfume to indicate us to have good luck for this coming new year. This game is assumed, and indicated that the New Year Celebration is going to end, and we are wishing you all with lots of loves and good luck.
Red-Ant.
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