Khmer New Year is the biggest holiday in the Khmer calendar. Just as China, Vietnam, and Thailand have their own individual New Year's celebrations, so too does Cambodia. The holiday is technically only three days long, but everyone starts to make their way back to their families' hometowns much earlier. Big cities like Phnom Penh become deserted, and even my town (small as it is) got a little quieter as people headed to the countryside.
After my trip to Malaysia, I returned home for a few days of rest before packing up food, gifts, and clothes and joining the flow of people to the countryside. We went to my family's farm about an hour from where we live.
And we were definitely in the countryside. I could hardly get a cell signal, and I lost track of how many small dirt roads we had turned down as we ventured further and further from the main road. When we arrived, we were greeted with smiles and invitations to eat, shower, and rest. I promptly set up my travel hammock (thanks Mom!) and showered. After showering, I ate a quick lunch before happily returning to my hammock and napping under the trees.
In the afternoon, we drove down the street, stopping at just about every house to smile, catch up, eat, and help prepare for the next day's festivities. Everyone was either a relative or close family friend, and it was fun to see different kinds of houses and to meet so many new people. By the time we got back, other family members had arrived and the house was full to bursting. With so many people, preparing meals and cleaning up after was quite an undertaking but luckily there are plenty of hands to help. Preparing for bed, each couple or family got their own mosquito net, fan, and mat on the floor. We all drifted to sleep, lulled by the sounds of chirping crickets and the generator in use at the neighbor's house.
The next day we got up and got dressed to go to the family shine for the main ancestor offerings. Each smaller unit within the extended family brought gifts for the monks as well as food and other tokens of offering. I sat as gracefully as I could in my Wat sit as the elder members of the family chanted along with the monks. After a fierce battle to keep my legs from falling asleep, we finished and went home for lunch and another nap. We spent the afternoon happily chatting, visiting neighbors, and exploring the fields behind the house.
The final day we had a small family blessing in the morning over the last of the gifts and food before they were taken to the wat. Several of my family members took me down to the river to bathe and gather water plants to use to make lunch. I hadn't come prepared so I only went in up to my knees to avoid getting my clothes wet, but it was nice to feel the squishy mud between my toes and the cool water on my legs. After lunch we packed up the car, said our goodbyes, and headed towards home (or so I thought). We actually ended up stopping at a bon (a funeral celebration) to pay our respects and meet up with the other side of our family. After eating some rather delicious noodles, we piled back in the car and ended up at a large river flood plain as the sun was setting. It was full of people, vendors, and little huts to relax in. As the kids ran pell-mell into the water, I am ambled behind enjoying the view and watching over some of the more adventurous little ones.
Our three-day holiday had none of the characteristic wat dancing, powder throwing, or crazy game playing that traditionally accompanies Khmer New Year. Apparently a few years ago there had been some sort of incident, and most of the traditional community celebrations stopped. Either way it was a good holiday-full of family, relaxing, and (as my bong sray put it) "staring at each other's faces." It was definitely a good time, and I appreciate my family allowing me to celebrate with them.
It's crazy! One Khmer New Year down, one to go!
Until next time,
Carissa
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