The Traditional Ceremonies in Cambodia

Many traditional ceremonies have so far been celebrated by Cambodian people, and these have differently been done from one area to the others. Despite having various kinds of ceremonies and having been hold differently, there are four essential and traditional categories of ceremonies that have nation wide been prepared in the same way and period. These traditional ceremonies are included:

(1) Khmer New Year, Bun Choul Chhnam, is one of the vital and traditional ceremonies in Cambodia, and it has been celebrated in April every year. Khmer New Year lasts for three days started from 13 until 15 of April, and it has been arranged in the whole country. There are two important reasons that are related to this traditional ceremony: (A) It is related to harvesting. Cambodian people harvest and gather their rice for almost one or two months, and they are so tired. That is why this traditional ceremony has been celebrated for being together and happy with close and distant relatives. (B) It concerns with welcoming New Year and Goddess. There will be replaced the new Goddess (angel) in every New Year, and this comes from Tabel Mohaprum story and Cambodian tradition. Cambodian people have to celebrate this ceremony to warmly welcome the new Goddess, and to release the bad sin that had been done by them in the last year. During celebration, the relatives and siblings who live or work on the down side have to be back to home town, and enjoy with their family both at home and pagoda. They have a party family and play traditional games at home or monastery such as scarf-throwing (Choul Chhoung), tug of war (Teagn Prort), scarf-hiding (Leak Kornseng), hide and seek (Bet Poun), shell-throwing (Bosh Angkhugn), and some others.  

(2) Pichum Ben (Pichum: gather together, Ben: ball of rice) is also one of the traditional ceremonies in Cambodia, and it is celebrated every year begun from the 1^st until 15^th of September. The reason why this ceremony has been done during this period is related to the following: (a) It is dark, waning moon, and the ghosts or evils (descendants: they can not come out during waxing moon) can come out and find the food given by their relatives around the temple. People who live and work in up- or down-town have to come back to their home town, and join this ceremony. They have to go to the pagoda during the day and in the early morning to give the food (Ben: ball of rice) to the evils (descendants) at the pagoda for 15 days, or they will be cursed to be poor or to be unlucky by their own evils. For 15 days, the last day is really important, and people have to go to the pagoda together (Pichum) so as to pray and ask for the good merits from the evils.     

(3) Money Collection Ceremony, Bun Kathen is also one of the necessary and traditional ceremonies, and it has been celebrated by Cambodian people in the whole country. This ceremony lasts for almost one month in October or from 15^th October until 15 November, and it has only been done at the pagoda. The pagoda can choose any date to celebrate during that month. Pagoda supporters, partisans, lay men, lay women, clergy men, nuns, monks, and the others can join this ceremony if they love and obey Buddhism. Before the tentative date of the ceremony (one night before), Headmasters of money collection arrange the ceremony at their houses to collect the money and then send it to the desired pagoda during the ceremony day. On that day, there will a lot of people come and join together at the pagoda in order to be happy and to process the ritual bucket (Trai bey Dork) around the temple. What really attractive is that there is a traditional music called Chhay Yam (Traditional music drummers) playing until the end of the ceremony.

(4) Water festival is also one of the most important and traditional ceremonies in Cambodia. This ceremony is related to the history of water war that Cambodian troops used rowing boats to combat and defeat the enemy. In order to commemorate and show the triumph of water war, the water festival has been celebrated every year in river in Phnom Penh capital. The boat rowers bring along their regattas to compete with the other rowers from different provinces in the whole country. This ceremony lasts for three days, and it is always celebrated in November from 23^rd until 25^th every year. During this time, almost all the people who live in the province come to the city to visit the boat competition and the city itself. The city is full of people during those days and then they return to their home town.