Cambodia Festivals

Sunday, 20 June 2010 15:39

Last Updated on Saturday, 04 September 2010 12:06

Written by Administrator

Hits: 1486

There are many interesting traditional religious and cultural ceremonies and festivals throughout the year. They provide a great opportunity to participate in a centuries old tradition of Khmer society. Some of the major festivals and ceremonies are listed below:

Bon Om Tuk (water,moon festival)

01 Nov 2009 to 03 Nov 2009
The annual boat rowing contest is Cambodia’s biggest holiday. Bon Om Tuk, also known as the Water Festival or the Festival of the Reversing Current, draws Cambodians from all round the country for three days of frivolity, fun and celebration, as hundreds of thousands throng the riverbanks to cheer on their home teams in fiercely contested heats.

Although the holiday is celebrated across the country, the epicenter of the festival is Phnom Penh where the population doubles with the outpouring of millions of Cambodians from the provinces and outlying villages.

Colorful Festival
The festival marks the time when the water in the Tone Sap River resumes its normal course, after flowing up the river into the large inland lake during the rainy season. Bright fireworks, a flotilla of lavishly decorated floats, fairs, and vendor-lined streets are part of the celebrations. Free music festivals in the park play loud Asian and Khmer. Businesses close for the three days, rural families leave the lives of toil behind and more likely than not, money exchanges hands during the boat races as bets are placed on the likely winners.

Bon Om Tuk coincides with the full month in the lunar calendar. Cambodians offer candles, incense and food and give thanks to the moon for a bountiful harvest. It is also seen as a celebration of several important naval victories achieved under King Jayavarman II  interestingly, the 10,000 riel bank note is printed with an illustration of the boat race.

Festive Longboats
Trials and practices for the boat races are held all year long to shape up the best team. As many as 400 long boats and more than 25,000 rowers from all round the world come to take part.

The ornately decorated and brightly painted longboats measure up to 30m in length with crewed by as many as 65 pairs of rowers. Each boat is purpose-built with special woods - koki is used for the hull for its superior resistance to water and srolao on the insides against sun exposure. Symbolic decorations for strength and good luck are used and of course, the vessels are blessed by monks before use.

Deaths Traditional ceremony

18 Sep 2009 to 20 Sep 2009
It is also Great Traditional Holiday that Cambodian people gather at pagoda to offer food, cake, drinks, money to monks to dedicate for their relatives death. This Traditional ceremony start 15 days prior to last 3 days 18+19+20 September 2009 and will be held at Pagoda to offer food, drinks every day to monks.

  Full moon (Meak Boja)

09 Jan 2009
It is celebration day for Buddhism religion when all Buddhism -disciple and monks gather nearby Buddha who informed and foreseen that Buddha will die within near future and on Full moon.

  Full moon (Visak Boja)

08 May 2009
It is a great celebration day according to Buddhism religion dedicated for Buddhas birthday, Illumination day and go away to Nirvan.

  Khmer New Year

14 Apr 2009 to 16 Apr 2009
Great Traditional Holiday according to Buddhism religion that Cambodian people gather at pagoda to offer food, cake, drinks and money to monk to dedicated in favor the relatives death. within 3 days celebration.

  Royal Ploughing day

12 May 2009
It is a Traditional celebration day that King or His representative inaugurate and ploughing field as symbol to remind people that rainy season arrive and start stimulating paddy-field to produce rice. This celebration day is usually held in Meru Area close to Royal Palace.