Travellers in Cambodia this weekend should be prepared for 5 days of national festivities as the Khmer New Year starts on Sunday 14th April 2013.
Chaul Chnam Thmey is on April 14 2013 and it marks the end of the harvest season, the start of the rains and the year 2557 in the Buddhist calendar – it usually falls on the same date as the solar New Year in Thailand, India and Burma. The Khmer New Year is spread over 3 days with a specific feature to each. April 14 is the first day and is called Maha Songkran, and on this day you wash your face with holy water in the morning, your chest in the afternoon and your feet in the evening, go to the temple to worship Buddha, and help build a sand hill in front of it to symbolise the stupa at Tavatimsa where the Buddha’s hair and diadem are buried, and 4 small ones around it to symbolise the stupas of the Buddha’s favourite disciples. On the second day, Virak Wanabat, Cambodians will do good deeds and charity work and visit their ancestors’ shrines to pay homage to them, and the next day, Tngay Leang Saka, they will bathe Buddha statues and their elderly relatives with perfumed water to bring prosperity and happiness. People play traditional games with songs and dance, throw water at each other and cook special dishes such as Kralen, a cake made from steamed rice mixed with red beans, grated coconut and coconut milk, stuffed into a bamboo stick and roasted with custard in the middle.
Cambodians rush home to their families at the new year, so public transport and the roads are busy, offices, museums and banks are closed, cash machines run out of money and pickpockets and bag snatchers step up their efforts. This year it starts officially on a Sunday so many people will take the Saturday before off also, and perhaps the Wednesday afterwards too, so if you are travelling in Cambodia at this time be prepared for 5 days of party!
For more travelling tips to Asia and Cambodia please email Tara@ReadyClickAndGo.com or check our website at www.ReadyClickAndGo.com
About the author: Tara
The travel professional with years of experience in the travel industry – in guiding, reservations, operations, contracting, customer service and product development – and have travelled extensively in Asia and Eastern Europe not just on holiday but also for work, inspecting hotels, visiting attractions and seeing exactly what each destination has to offer. The only way I could do this properly was with my own guide, car and driver and this inspired me to create my own range of customised private day tours for other people to be able to explore in-depth and learn to love their destination as much as I do.
Website: www.readyclickandgo.com
Website: http://www.readyclickandgo.com
