Cambodian New Year

Cambodian New Year
Young women at a Khmer New Year celebration in Lithonia, Georgia, US, 2010.
Official name	Cambodian New Year បុណ្យចូលឆ្នាំថ្មី
Also called	Choul Chnam Thmey
Observed by	Khmers
Significance	Marks the Cambodian New Year
Begins	14 April
Ends	16 April
Date	14 April
Frequency	annual
Related to	South and Southeast Asian New Years

Template:Contains Khmer text Cambodian New Year (Khmer: បុណ្យចូលឆ្នាំថ្មី) or Choul Chnam Thmey in the Khmer language, literally "Enter New Year", is the name of the Cambodian holiday that celebrates the traditional Lunar New Year. The holiday lasts for three days beginning on New Year's Day, which usually falls on April 13th or 14th, which is the end of the harvesting season, when farmers enjoy the fruits of their labor before the rainy season begins. Khmers living abroad may choose to celebrate during a weekend rather than just specifically April 13th through 16th. The Khmer New Year coincides with the traditional solar new year in several parts of India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand.

Cambodians also use Buddhist Era to count the year based on the Buddhist calendar. For 2018, it will be 2562 BE (Buddhist Era).

Cambodia New Year History

All nation in the world celebrate new year every year with different date and preparation according to their traditional Cultures. Cambodia People also celebrate new year every year since ancient time.it's among biggest and colorful celebrations of the year. Cambodia new year in the Khmer language "Chol Chhnam Thmey" entering new year. During Angkor era,Khmer celebrated new year based on the lunar solar calendar.According to Chinese diplomat, Zhou Daguan he arrived at Khmer empire in 1295 and he visited Angkor area in August 1296 and he stay at Khmer empire 1 years in 13th century recorded that Khmer celebrated new year in the the Khmer calendar is Mikaser (មិគសិរ) which fell on January of Chinese calendar. After Angkor period, the new year celebration date has been changed, because Cambodian use both lunar moon solar and sun solar calendar.The current new year celebration date was determined based on solar calendar, which typically falls on April 13th or 14th of the Gregorian calendar.And this date is set as official new year day for Cambodians today. Cambodian practice the tradition and reinforce their beliefs about heaven, earth,and hell,good and bad,in which the result people got is from their deeds in their life.And so this life of living they shall do many good deeds for the next better life.There is a legend related to Khmer new year,that people believe that every new year there is one new angel come to take care the earth and people.[[1]][[2]][[3]]

Cambodia New Year Legend

The history of Khmer New Year related to the celestial period as follows: It is said that at the beginning of the Hindu-Buddhist period, There was a rich man he respected Buddhism and he has a son called "Tommabal Komar" . "Tommabal Komar" has excellent knowledge of the animal language and has learned to stop the Trinity at age 9. The father built a chapel for a child's education to be a meditation , Children's Instruction "Tommabal Komar" "became a young priest, a bridesmaid, a preacher of all kinds of people in Buddhism, At that time the sowing of Buddhism for the administration of children was well-known to Brahma,"Divinity 4face", is a happy wedding to all people in religious rituals.Then Brahma looked at and wondered, Why the Vishnu god were born into the "Tommabal Komar" , And go back to Buddhism! Brahma just want to win the Vishnu of a child's education . Brahma also became a Brahmin to come down to the "3" Parables for "Tommabal Komar" . Promising that if I got acquainted, I would have sucked up and bowed my head to the "Tommabal Komar" But if the cure for the child is not successful, then the cat and the head of the "Tommabal Komar".Children ask for a delay of seven days to parse a parable. After six days, I still do not realize that this morning will be the death of a real criminal, so I should go to hide and hide. The Child's Exploitation has been rested on a silk-cotton tree, a hive of twin eagles. The eagle is the body of the King of Garuda, the vehicle of the Vishnu that is waiting to help him,because Vishnu is born into avatar human .

   The eagles were talking to one another :
   The female eagle asked, "What am we eating this morning?
   The male eagle answers, "We will eat the "Tommabal Komar" for Kelp altars because they can not be cleared.
   The female eagle asked how the parable? - The male eagle answer: Where is the morning of Glory? "The first parable must be answered in front of it," so all people will have to wash their face in the morning.
   The male eagle Continues Where is the Noon of Glory? "The second parable has to answer in the chest," so it's hot in the middle of the day, so people have to wash their chest to daytime.
   The male eagle continues: Where is the sunset at night sleep? "The third parable has to say that at the feet, people wash their feet and go to bed at night dream.

The children's teachings have been heard so much, and they are back to the spiritual realm to date on the seventh day, the last Sunday. Subsequently, the children's "Tommabal Komar" answered the parable of the Brahmin, and Brahmin was also willing to lose and beheaded for sacrifice. The Brahmin, before and beheaded, transform back to the Brahma, and called his seven angel daughters, saying that now his father had to cut the incense bowl for the pedagogical child's parable. But if his head on the earth will be a fire of the earth, and if it falls to the air and there is no rain, dumped in the ocean and dried up, then let the seven daughters take the head of the father's When the word was over, Brahma also cut off his head and handed her to "Tungsak Tevi" the eldest daughter the angel of Sunday . (Tungsak Tevi) took the head of the father and flew over 60 minutes of the Royal Periodic Monument, taking the headquarters of the Father in a cemetery in the cemetery of Kant Mealy of Pagoda paradise, and worshiping other gods. Later, the seven angel goddesses adopted the Child Discourse, which came to be known as the called (God Pishnuka) mean "Divinity of the Son".

The Name Of Seven Angel Cambodia And Her's Action Become Earth

Day Of Weak & Color Skirt	Names	Ear Flower	Color Clothing	Jewellery Gems	Eating Food	Right Hand Weapons	Left Hand Weapons	Vehicle
Sunday	Sun Angel (Tungsak Tevi)	Pomegranate flowers	Red	Ruby (Red Gems)	Fig (Fruit)	Wind and fire wheels	Fire Conch	Red Garuda
Monday	Moon Angel (Korea Keak Tevi)	Millingtonia	Yellow	Amethyst (Purple Gems)	Oil	Short Sword	Walking stick	Tiger
Tueday	Mars Angel (Reakshak-Sa Tevi)	Lotus flower	Black	Sapphire (Blue Gems)	Blood	Trident	Bow and Arrow	Horse
Wednesday	Mercury Angel (Mondia Tevi)	Plumeria	Bright Green	Chatoyancy (Yellow Gems)	Milk	Needles	Walking stick	Donkey
Thursday	Jupiter Angel (Keriney Tevy)	Magnolia	Green	Emerald	Bean & Sesame	Elephant goad	Crossbow	Elephant
Friday	Venus Angel (Kemera Tevi)	Nymphaeaceae	White	White Jade	Green Banana	Short Sword	Harp	Buffalo
Saturday	Saturn Angel (Mohoa Teakrea Tevi)	Eichhornia crassipes	Dark Blue	Onyx (Black Gems)	Venison	Wind and fire wheels	Trident	Peacock

• If She goes out at morning to noon (She standing her vehicle) 6 : 00 AM > 12 : 00 PM
• If She goes out at noon to evening (She sits on a curve her vehicle) 12 : 00 PM > 6 : 00 PM
• If She goes out at evening to midnight (She sleep open eye her vehicle) 6 : 00 PM > 12 : AM
• If She goes out at midnight to early morning (She sleep closed eye her vehicle ) 12 : 00 AM > 6 : 00 AM [[4]]

The three days of the new year

Elders cleanse statues of the Buddha with perfumed water.

Tables with offerings of flowers and food to one's ancestors are commonly set up for the Khmer New Year. Seen here is a Chinese Cambodian ancestor altar.

Maha Sangkran (មហាសង្រ្កាន្ត)

Maha Sangkran, derived from Sanskrit Maha Sankranti, is the name of the first day of the new year celebration. It is the end of the year and the beginning of a new one. People dress up and light candles and burn incense sticks at shrines, where the members of each family pay homage to offer thanks for the Buddha's teachings by bowing, kneeling and prostrating themselves three times in front of his image. For good luck people wash their face with holy water in the morning, their chests at noon, and their feet in the evening before they go to bed.

Virak Vanabat (វិរ:វ័នបត)

Vireak Vanabat is the name of the second day of the new year celebration. People contribute charity to the less fortunate by helping the poor, servants, homeless, and low-income families. Families attend a dedication ceremony to their ancestors at monasteries.

Vearak Loeng Sak (វារៈឡើងស័ក)

T'ngai Loeng Sak in Khmer is the name of the third day of the new year celebration. Buddhists wash the Buddha statues and their elders with perfumed water. Bathing the Buddha images is a symbolic practice to wash bad actions away like water clean dirt from household items. It is also thought to be a kind deed that will bring longevity, good luck, happiness and prosperity in life. By washing their grandparents and parents, the children can obtain from them best wishes and good pieces of advice to live the life for the rest of the year.

New Year's customs

File:Fjklds.jpg

In temple

In temples, people erect a sand hillock on temple grounds. They mound up a big pointed hill of sand or dome in the center which represents Valuka Chaitya, the stupa at Tavatimsa where the Buddha's hair and diadem are buried. The big stupa is surrounded by four small ones, which represent the stupas of the Buddha's favorite disciples: Sariputta, Moggallana, Ananda, and Maha Kassapa. There is another tradition called Sraung Preah (ស្រង់ព្រះ) : pouring water or liquid plaster (a mixture of water with some chalk powder) on elder relative, or people (mostly the younger generation is responsible for pouring the water).

The Khmer New Year is also a time to prepare special dishes. One of these is a "kralan": a cake made from steamed rice mixed with beans or peas, grated coconut and coconut milk. The mixture is stuffed inside a bamboo stick and slowly roasted.

Traditional games (ល្បែង⁣ប្រជាប្រិយ)

Cambodia is home to a variety of games played to transform the dull days into memorable occasions. These games are similar to those played in Manipur, a north-eastern state in India. Throughout the Khmer New Year, street corners often are crowded with friends and families enjoying a break from routine, filling their free time with dancing and games. Typically, Khmer games help maintain one's mental and physical dexterity.

• "Chol Chhoung (ចោល⁣ឈូង)"

A game played especially on the first nightfall of the Khmer New Year by two groups of boys and girls. Ten or 20 people comprise each group, standing in two rows opposite each other. One group throws the "chhoung" to the other group. When it is caught, it will be rapidly thrown back to the first group. If someone is hit by the "chhoung," the whole group must dance to get the "chhoung" back while the other group sings to the dance.

• "Chab Kon Kleng (ចាប់⁣កូនខ្លែង)"

A game played by imitating a hen as she protects her chicks from a crow. Adults typically play this game on the night of the first New Year's Day. Participants usually appoint a strong player to play the hen who protects "her" chicks, while another person is picked to be the "crow". While both sides sing a song of bargaining, the crow tries to catch as many chicks as possible as they hide behind the hen.

• "Bos Angkunh (បោះអង្គុញ⁣)"

The simple style consists of just throwing the Ongkunhs to hit the target Ongkunhs. The extended style adds five more stages in addition to the throwing stage. Both styles end with a penalty called Jours-activity that the winning team members get to perform on the losing team members. The Jours-activity is performed by using the Onkunghs the hit the knees of the losing team.

• "Leak Kanseng (លាក់⁣កន្សែង)⁣"

A game played by a group of children sitting in a circle. Someone holding a "kanseng" (Cambodian towel) that is twisted into a round shape walks around the circle while singing a song. The person walking secretly tries to place the "kanseng" behind one of the children. If that chosen child realizes what is happening, he or she must pick up the "kanseng" and beat the person sitting next to him or her.

• "Bay Khom(បាយខុម)"

A game played by two children in rural or urban areas during their leisure time. Ten holes are dug in the shape of an oval into a board in the ground. The game is played with 42 small beads, stones or fruit seeds. Before starting the game, five beads are put into each of the two holes located at the tip of the board. Four beads are placed in each of the remaining eight holes. The first player takes all the beads from any hole and drops them one by one in the other holes. He or she must repeat this process until they have dropped the last bead into a hole that lies besides any empty one. Then they must take all the beads in the hole that follows the empty one. At this point, the second player may have his turn. The game ends when all the holes are empty. The player with the greatest number of beads wins the game. It is possibly similar to congkak.

Angkor Sangkran (អង្គរសង្ក្រាន្ត)

Sanskrit (Angkor Sangkranta) is an event of Khmer New Year organized by the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia (UYFC) which is held in Siem Reap province from 14–16 April. Culture event action-packed Angkor Sangkran is an opportunity for all Cambodians as a united Khmer Family and for foreign friends to receive unforgettable and exquisite experiences during Khmer New Year in Cambodia.

Dates in Khmer calendar

Gregorian	Date	Animal	Day of the week		Gregorian	Date	Animal	Day of the week
2001	13 April	Snake	Friday		2026	13 April	Horse	Tuesday
2002	13 April	Horse	Saturday		2027	13 April	Goat	Thursday
2003	13 April	Goat	Sunday		2028	13 April	Monkey	Saturday
2004	13 April	Monkey	Tuesday		2029	13 April	Rooster	Sunday
2005	13 April	Rooster	Wednesday		2030	13 April	Dog	Monday
2006	13 April	Dog	Thursday		2031	13 April	Pig	Tuesday
2007	13 April	Pig	Friday		2032	13 April	Rat	Thursday
2008	13 April	Rat	Sunday		2033	13 April	Ox	Friday
2009	13 April	Ox	Monday		2034	13 April	Tiger	Saturday
2010	13 April	Tiger	Tuesday		2035	13 April	Rabbit	Sunday
2011	13 April	Rabbit	Wednesday		2036	13 April	Dragon	Tuesday
2012	13 April	Dragon	Friday		2037	13 April	Snake	Wednesday
2013	13 April	Snake	Saturday		2038	13 April	Horse	Thursday
2014	13 April	Horse	Sunday		2039	13 April	Goat	Friday
2015	13 April	Goat	Monday		2040	13 April	Monkey	Sunday
2016	13 April	Monkey	Wednesday		2041	13 April	Rooster	Monday
2017	14 April	Rooster	Friday		2042	13 April	Dog	Tuesday
2018	14 April	Dog	Saturday		2043	13 April	Pig	Wednesday
2019	13 April	Pig	Saturday		2044	13 April	Rat	Friday
2020	13 April	Rat	Monday		2045	13 April	Ox	Saturday
2021	13 April	Ox	Tuesday		2046	13 April	Tiger	Sunday
2022	13 April	Tiger	Thursday		2047	13 April	Rabbit	Monday
2023	13 April	Rabbit	Friday		2048	13 April	Dragon	Wednesday
2024	13 April	Dragon	Sunday		2049	13 April	Snake	Thursday
2025	13 April	Snake	Monday		2050	13 April	Horse	Friday

See also

• Water Festival
• Chinese zodiac
• South and Southeast Asian New Year