Khmer New Year Days

Before Khmer New Year day people prepare their houses by cleaning or new painting the wall, changing new curtains, replacing new furniture, kitchen where which are broken. People make themselves new clothes. All these are activities to refresh the bad feeling in the old year and a good coming year.

During the three days of New Year, offerings for welcome New Year angle is prepared on the table placed in front of the house door. The offering included a pair of slather (made of young banana stem, decorate with flower, betel leaves, area nuts, fruits, water, drinks and flower). Especially the food which is the favorite of the New Year angle is a must have.The time of the New Year angle coming is always different from each year. People bases on the time written in Moha Sangkran which is calculated by Hora. When it is the time, at the offering table, people started to light candles and burn incense sticks, praying to the New Year angle for health, and happiness.Traditionally, Khmer New Year is celebrated within three days. The first day is called Moha Sangkran, second day is called Vireak Vonnabat, and the last day or the third day is called Vara Loeng Sak.
The first day (Moha Sangkran) it is the end of the year and the beginning of a new one. In this day Cambodian people get new dress and burn the incense with candles at the pagoda. Cambodian people make the foods and go to pagoda with praying to the Buddha to have good luck and happiness Cambodian people also wash their face with holy water in the morning, their chest at the afternoon, and their feet before they go to bed.
Second day of Khmer New Year Cambodian people prepare the food, clothes, money... to their parents. After that, they make the food for their ancestors with burning candles and incense. They believe that when they dedication food, drink, money, clothe... to their relatives (who passed already) they will have that things back for themselves.
The third day of Khmer New Year Cambodian bathing the Buddha’s image. Bathing Buddha’s image is a symbolic practice to wash bad actions away like clean dirt from household Items.