About 400,000 Khmer ethnic people currently living in Soc Trang Province have welcomed their New Year festival, Chol Chnam Thmay with great joy. The festival is celebrated by the Khmer people every year around mid April (similar to Vietnam's Tet New Year Festival, which is celebrated around late January to early February).
Monk Tran Phep, from Luong Sa Bac Pagoda, My Xuyen Town (My Xuyen District) said, "This year, Chol Chnam Thmay takes place in 4 days, from April 13 - 16."
During the first day of the festival, anyone who wishes to become a Buddhist monk, will be brought to the pagoda to pray and ask for permission from the elder monks.
During the second day, people often cook at home and prepare their food as a kind of offering to the Buddhas, and later present them to the monks for merit. Beside rice and food, the Khmer people aslo offer other objects such as incense, lamps, fruits, money or paper flowers, to pray for the peace of their departed ones souls as well as the living ones. At large pagodas, people often sleep over and organise many festive activities throughout the night. Khmer girls in their beautiful traditional dress will perform the traditional Lamthol dance. Also, during this day, new Buddhist monks (Sadi's) will present themselves in front of the Buddha and have an official ceremony.
The third day of the festival, more people often gather inside the pagoda and pray together for a new year of prosperity and happiness, and all activities will happen the same as their second day. A big hill of sand will be erected on the pagoda grounds, a tradition practiced with the hope of peace for family and relatives.
At Phnoroka Pagoda in Phu Tam Commune, Chau Thanh District, a matrix maze is often established as another tradition of Khmers. Monk Danh Huong, head of the pagoda said, "If someone is be able to go through the matrix maze with no difficulty, then this will be a year of great luck to that person."
The Chol Chnam Thmay Festival held in Soc Trang this year is being celebrated in a warm and joyful atmosphere.
Pagodas are decorated for the New Year festival
A Sadi expresses his wish to become a Buddhist monk.
People walk inside the matrix maze to wish for a year of good luck.
