Cambodian New Year is celebrated in 3 days after the end of the harvest to mark the turn of the year with a variety of traditional activities. Learn more here.
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Cambodian New Year (Chaul Chhnam Thmey)
Cambodian New Year (Chaul Chhnam Thmey)
This new year festival is 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.
Contact us at [email protected] for free advice on the best Holiday tours to Cambodia as well as travel itineraries in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.
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