Khmer New Year celebration Episode 02

Names of the Goddesses of Hasan Sankranti and their Adorations

Day

Goddesses of Hasan Sankranti! Public attire

Sunday

Dungsa Devi wears pomegranate flowers

Putumraja's robe, fig fruit, right weapon: a gong, left: a sakkha, and a kudrat

Monday

Koraka Devi wears the flower of the Margapus

Pukada attire, oil food, right weapon: a khan, left: a stick, and a tiger

Tuesday

Koraka Devi wears a lotus flower

Mora attire, blood food, right weapon: a trident, left: a bow, and a spear

Wednesday

Manda Devi wears the flower of the Champa

Pitura attire, milk food, right weapon: a needle, left: a stick, and a donkey

Thursday

Kirini Devi wears the flower of the Manda

Emerald attire, bean food Sesame, right weapon, Kanvera, left gun, elephant vehicle

Friday

Kimira Devi, wearing a flower, a gong

Pushragam, wearing a phoenix, eating a phoenix, right weapon, Preah Khan, left instrument, buffalo

Saturday

Mahotara Devi, wearing a flower, a phoenix

Nilavatana, wearing a phoenix, eating a phoenix, right weapon, Kangchakra, left trisol, peacock vehicle

New Year's traditions

The New Year's traditions are held for three days. The first day is Maha Sangkranti, the second day is Vanapat, and the third day is the day of the ascension. The determination of the month, day, hour, and minute when the old year ends and the new year god descends to take over from the old year god can be determined by using the ancient astrological rule, the Maha Sangkrant rule.

In which month does the Khmer New Year fall? When? Since the time of Nokor Thom, the Khmer people have used the lunar calendar (the way the moon moves) to calculate the days and months of the year. Therefore, the Khmer people have determined the month of Migasir as the new year month, and the first month is the month of Kuttik, which is the 12th month. Later, the Khmer people switched to using the solar calendar (the way the sun moves). At that time, the Khmer people set the new year in the month of Chet (the fifth month) because in this month the sun travels from the sign of the Moon to the sign of the Goat. The new year is usually on the 13th of the month of Chet every year, but over time there have been some exceptions, with the new year being on the 14th. The Great Sankranti, which uses the solar calendar, is called “Samdach Sankranti” (the sun moves directly overhead as Sankranti). Maha Sankranti, which uses the lunar calendar method, is called "Ayam Sankranti" (when the sun is not directly overhead). They still use the lunar calendar in reference to the solar calendar because the lunar calendar is related to many Buddhist teachings. The new year according to the lunar calendar is not regular, sometimes it is in the new moon, sometimes in the new moon. But within a month, it is not before the 4th day of the month of Chet and not later than the 4th day of the month of Visakha. Therefore, some Sankranti fall in the month of Visakha.

For other Khmer ceremonies, we have the following traditional arrangements: Before the New Year, people prepare food, clean their homes, collect water for jars, collect firewood, and cut new clothes. When the New Year arrives, they prepare sacred objects to welcome the new deity: 1 pair of rice, 1 pair of religious offerings, 5 incense sticks, 5 candles, 1 pair of perfumes, flowers, incense sticks, 1 bottle of water, and drinks, rice cakes, and all kinds of fruits. The houses are decorated with colorful lights, electric wires, or lanterns of all colors to welcome the new deity. When the appointed time comes, the new deity comes, and the children sit together near the place where the sacred objects are arranged, and light candles, burn incense, and offer prayers to ask for prosperity and all kinds of things from the new deity. As for the sacred objects and offerings to the deity, they usually choose according to the wishes of the deity that will descend in each year. For example: If the deity that is to descend eats sesame seeds, they offer sesame seeds and beans. The three-day ceremony of the New Year is as follows:

· Day 1: They bring offerings to the monks at the temple. In the evening, they carry sand to build a stupa around the temple or around a Bodhi tree in the temple. In the evening, they offer drinks to the monks, invite the monks to perform the auspicious rituals, and give sermons.

· Day 2: Children give clothes, food, and money to the benefactors, such as parents, grandparents, and so on. Sometimes they also give alms to servants or the poor. In the afternoon, they go to the sand mountain again and chant the mantras and pray to the sand mountain, which is believed to be like the Cholamni Chetiya, and invite the monks to bless the Chetiya and send blessings to the spirits of the deceased.

· Day 3: In the morning, invite the monks to cross the sand mountain. In the evening, invite the monks to draw water and draw the Buddha image (according to the customs of some regions). On the occasion of the New Year, people play many fun folk games such as throwing a stick, throwing a bamboo stick, pulling a string, hiding a scarf, catching a kite, etc., and there is a dance called Trodi (mostly in Battambang and Siem Reap provinces), especially the Vong dance, but it depends on the preferences of each person. Some people like to go for a walk, while others like to make alms at the pagoda.

Velok Chetiya

Common name

...Episode 02