April is not a normal month in Cambodia. Schools are closed, streets are decorated with colorful garlands and lights, and kids can be seen playing traditional games and spraying each other with water. We celebrate the New Year in Cambodia much differently than in America, and I have had so much fun learning about this tradition.
Khmer New Year (or Chol Chnam Thmey)! In Cambodia, Khmer New Year is a three-day holiday in the middle of April. On the first day (Sangkran), families clean their homes and prepare offerings of fruit and incense for the New Year’s angel. On the second day (Vanabat), people carry out acts of charity and donate food and money to the poor. And on the third day (Leung Sak), people pour water over statues of Buddha and over their parents to show honor.
Although the official holiday only lasts for three days, many Cambodians celebrate in the weeks before and after as well. During the Khmer New Year season, it is common for children to play traditional games. Boh Angkunh is a game where players toss a large seed and try to knock other seeds out of line. Teanh Prot is a tug-of-war game with a girls' team and a boys' team.
