New Year’s Eve Traditions
The Khmer New Year’s Eve tradition lasts for three days. The first day is “Maha Sangkrant Day,” the second day is “Van Bat Day,” and the third day is “Thu Sak Day.” The month, day, hour, and minute when the old year ends and the new year’s deity descends to take over from the old year’s deity can be determined regularly based on ancient astrological rules, the Maha Sangkrant rules.
From the time of the city of Nokor Thom onwards, we Khmers used the lunar calendar (the path of the moon) to determine the new year in the month of Migasir, and the first month, the month of Katika, was the 12th month. Only later did they use the solar calendar (the path of the sun) as the main method, and determined the new year in the month of Chetra (the 5th month), when the sun moved from the sign of the Ox to the sign of the Snake. The new year always fell on the 13th of April (Chetra) every year, but over time, there was a slip, and the new year came on the 14th. The Maha Sangkranti that uses the solar calendar is called “Samdap Sangkranti” (the sun is directly overhead as Sangkranti). The Maha Sangkranti that uses the lunar calendar is called “Ayam Sangkranti” (when the sun is not directly overhead as Sangkranti). The lunar calendar is still used in conjunction with the solar calendar because the lunar calendar is related to many Buddhist precepts. The lunar New Year’s Day is not always a regular day; sometimes it is during the new moon, sometimes during the new moon. But within a month, not before the 4th day of the month of Chet and not after the 4th day of the month of Visakha, so some Sankranti falls in the month of Visakha.
For other ceremonies, we Khmer people prepare according to tradition. Before the New Year, they prepare food, clean the house, collect water, put it in jars, collect firewood, cut new clothes, etc.
When the New Year arrives, they prepare the offerings to welcome the new deity, including: a pair of rice cakes, a pair of sla dharma, 5 incense sticks, 5 candles, a pair of perfumes, flowers, a bowl of water, and drinks, cakes, and fruits of all kinds. The house is decorated with colorful electric bulbs or lanterns of all colors to welcome the new deity.
When the time comes for the new deity to descend, they bring their children to sit together near the place where the sacred objects are arranged and light candles, incense, and perfume, praying for the new deity to bring good luck and prosperity in all matters.
As for the sacred objects and food offered 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 will descend eats sesame seeds and beans, they offer beans and sesame seeds.
The three-day ceremony of the New Year is as follows:
Day 1: They take food to the monks at the temple. In the evening, they carry sand to build a pagoda around the temple or around a Bodhi tree in the temple. At dusk, they offer drinks to the monks, pray to the Buddha, and give sermons.
Day 2: Children give clothes, food, and money to their benefactors, such as parents, grandparents, etc. Sometimes they also give alms to servants or the poor.
In the afternoon, they go to the sand mountain again and pray to the sand mountain, which is believed to be like the Cholamani Chetiya, and invite the monks to bless the Chetiya to send blessings to the spirits of their deceased brothers or sisters.
Day 3: In the morning, invite the monks to cross the sand mountain. In the evening, invite the monks to draw water and draw Buddha images (according to the customs of some regions).
On the occasion of the New Year, they play many fun folk games such as throwing a kite, throwing a bamboo pole, pulling a rope, hiding a scarf, catching a kite, and dancing in a circle, etc., as well as the Trudi dance.
The meaning of the Khmer New Year festival
The Khmer set the New Year festival for April (the month of Chet) because the month of Chet is the beginning of the year when the sun enters the zodiac sign of the Ox, the sun passing directly over the head in Sangkranti. Khmer people believe that during a year of living, they often encounter various misfortunes and misfortunes, sometimes suffering, sometimes great misfortunes, sometimes physical illness, and sometimes committing unseemly acts. When the old year is over, they celebrate, wear new clothes, and go out for fun to get rid of their worries and have happiness and prosperity in the new year.
In addition, after a year of separation from family and friends who went to work far away, when the New Year arrived, they returned to meet and greet each other to relieve their nostalgia and relieve their fatigue from work. Then, they continued their new life in the new year, doing business successfully and living long.
Another meaning is that the New Year celebration is a tradition that can cultivate the spirit of love and friendship between the people of Prieng Lan, which is a factor in creating national unity. That is why at that time, they not only gather with their families, but also go to the monastery to celebrate, which is a center for creating unity. Because the New Year festival has such great meaning, the Khmer people have cherished it as a national tradition since the beginning.
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