Holidays in Cambodia

Cambodia is famous not only for the cleanest ocean coast and excellent beaches , impassable jungles or unique sights of historical value. Those who are interested in the culture and traditions of this eastern kingdom will certainly be attracted by the opportunity during the trip to visit one of the holidays in Cambodia and get to know more closely the life of the country. At first glance, there are not so many such solemn dates in the calendar of Cambodians, but having personally visited folk festivals in their honor, you will certainly get a memorable and brilliant experience.

To schedule the date of the trip, before taking flight tickets, check with the list of the most significant dates in Cambodia. Among them, both state and religious holidays, originating in the depths of centuries.

State holidays of the Kingdom of Cambodia

Public holidays in Cambodia are usually celebrated on a smaller scale than religious ones, but also are days off and are usually accompanied by mass festivities. The most important of them are:

1. New Year. It is celebrated on January 1 and marks the beginning of the new year according to the Gregorian calendar. The locals do not celebrate it with special solemnity: this New Year is just a symbol of Cambodia's involvement in world culture. However, Khmers also willingly give each other gifts, only before or during the holiday itself, and not the next morning. The facades of houses and streets are decorated with fir-tree sprigs and flowers instead of toys. It is not forbidden to make noise and have fun, and also to use hot drinks.
2. Victory Day over genocide. It is celebrated on January 7. On that day in 1979, Phnom Penh was captured by the Vietnamese army. In Cambodia, there is even a museum of genocide Tuol Sleng , whose exhibits tell about the regime of Pol Pot.
3. International Women's Day. As in other countries, it is celebrated on March 8. In many cities of the country there are exhibitions, fairs, theatrical performances, boat parades. In Phnom Penh, a fair of products made by Cambodian women opens (mostly scarves and silk handbags). On it also the villagers demonstrate their own and ecologically clean vegetables and fruits grown by them. Not far from Angkor Wat temple complex there is a demonstration, where women hold various slogans and posters.
4. Labor Day. The holiday is established on May 1 in honor of workers and economic and social improvements in their lives. Demonstrations, which are attended by a lot of people - an integral part of the celebrations on this day.
5. Birthday of the King. May 13-15 is a tribute to the Cambodians once loved by King Norodom Sihamoni, who was born on May 14, 1953. On this day, all offices, institutions and most markets do not work.
6. Birthday of the mother of King of Cambodia. It is celebrated on June 18 (the date of the birth of the Queen of Cambodia).
7. Constitution Day of Cambodia. It is celebrated on September 24 - the day of the first constitution of the country.
8. Day of coronation. Celebrated on October 29, the day the king of Cambodia ascended to the throne.
9. Birthday of the father of the King of Cambodia. Cambodians so respect the family of their monarch that the date of October 31, when the father of Norodom Sihamoni appeared, is also considered a holiday. On this day are particularly bright and cheerful celebrations with fireworks, and many previously inaccessible rooms of the Royal Palace are open for visits.
10. Independence Day. Celebrations on this occasion are held on November 9, the day when Cambodia in 1953 became independent of France.
11. Human Rights Day. It is celebrated on December 10. This date is significant because on that day the Declaration of Human Rights was adopted. On the main avenues and highways of the country hang large banners, from which all can learn more about human rights. In the center of the province of Battambang, festive events are organized, organized by the regional office of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Also, the local United Nations office, together with the French Embassy, ​​is opening a festival of Cambodian culture in Phnom Penh in the Chaktomuk Theater, where one can get to know more about folk music and dance art.

Ethnic Holidays in Cambodia

Religious celebrations in the country always pass colorfully and with great scope, therefore to visit at least one of them and get acquainted with the Cambodian culture is worth it. Among them are noteworthy:

1. Magha Puja . Celebrations in this regard are held in February. The exact date depends on the date of the full moon. This holiday has religious significance: the monks gathered on this day to listen to the sermons of the Buddha. Now clergymen and laity come to special ceremonial halls and read sutras, narrating about the life of Buddha. This is sure to be reckoned to all those present in the afterlife, and if you can listen to the whole text of the sutras (they contain 1000 verses), then all your desires will necessarily be fulfilled. It is very important to do good deeds on this day, so local people treat the monks and release birds and fish to freedom.
2. Vesak . It is celebrated in April or May. On this day, according to legend, Gautama Buddha was born, and on that day his enlightenment and death came. Today, at the onset of this date, Khmers carry expensive gifts to monks for monks. Since the church calendar is associated with the lunar calendar, Vesak is celebrated every year on different days. On this holiday the monks arrange a solemn procession with candles. In the temples perform the Cham dance ritual and read the sutras. Since the Buddha's enlightenment took place under the shadow of the Badjan, this tree must be watered abundantly. Temples solemnly decorate, and Cambodians hand each other postcards, which depicts the most important moments from the earthly existence of the Buddha. In the evening, candles and lanterns are lit all over the country.
3. Royal Plowing Ceremony . This date is the boundary after which you can start sowing. Celebrate it in May, and a special feature of the festival is a solemn procession, led by a pair of oxen, decorated with flowers and harnessed to the plow.
4. Pchum Ben (The Day of the Ancestors) . Cambodians remember their ancestors in September or October. For most of them, this is a very significant date. It is believed that on a certain day the ruler of the realm of the dead Pit releases the souls of the dead to the earth. Spirits immediately go to the pagodas where their families live, and if there are no offerings in the form of rice, they can curse their relatives.
5. Bon Om Tuk (Water Festival) . Rowing competitions are held in November, when the rivers change the direction of their current. They occur at Phnom Penh on the banks of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers. This is a truly colorful show, in which 21 (according to the number of the country's provinces) brightly painted boat up to 20 m in length participates.

Cambodian New Year

He comes to the home of every local resident on April 13-15 or April 14-16 and is considered one of the most important holidays of Cambodia, symbolizing national traditions. Local residents believe that on this day the spirit of God descends on the earth. In the local language, the name of the New Year sounds like Chaul Chnam. Celebrations on this occasion last for three days.

On the first day - Moxa Sangkran - the Cambodians carefully clean and consecrate their homes, because that's when the angels descend to the ground and they must be met properly. The idol of Buddha is placed on the most honorable place in the house - the altar. It should be decorated with flowers, candles, put food and drinks before it, and smoke with aromatic spoons. For the monks and priests, special meals are prepared for that day, which they are treated to for free.

The second day of the festival is called Vanabot. If on this day you are in Cambodia , follow the example of local people and make gifts to loved ones, and give generous donations to those in need. Some Cambodians in April even encourage their subordinates monetary bonuses.

The third day of the New Year is called Leung Sakk. Then it is supposed to wash the idols of the Buddha with holy water so that next year there would be a good harvest and it would be abundant in rains. This ceremony is called Pithi Srang Preah. It is also customary to show deep reverence to the elders: as a token of obedience, the younger members of the family bathe their feet with holy water, receiving in exchange a parental blessing.

It is on the Cambodian New Year that the monsoon season begins, and the harvesting is completed. Traditionally, all believing locals go to the temple, where they are blessed by clergymen. Usually in the temple on this date a sand hill is built, decorated with 5 religious flags. They symbolize the five favorite disciples of the Buddha. The tradition of sprinkling holy water has its own peculiarities: it moistens the face in the morning, the breast - in the afternoon, and on feet are poured in the evening. Water is also often painted in various shades: pink, yellow, blue. This is done in order to attract luck and prosperity in the coming year. At the conclusion of religious ceremonies, fun and various active youth games are also not forbidden.