Chol Chnam Thmay (Khmer New Year)

Khmer New Year at Southern Buddhist temples with sand mound building, Buddha bathing, and ngo boat racing competitions.

Chol Chnam Thmay (Khmer New Year) is the largest annual, three-day festival for the Khmer people, typically held in mid-April (April 14–16) to mark the end of the dry season and the new harvest cycle. It is a time for family reunions, temple visits to offer food, cleaning houses, and festive activities like traditional dances and water splashing.

Key Traditional Rituals and Days:
Moha Songkran (Day 1): People dress in their finest clothes, visit local pagodas for the Mahasangkran procession, and offer food to monks.
Wanabat / Virak Vanabat (Day 2): Families offer gifts to parents/elders, visit pagodas to build sand hillocks (symbolizing the universe/merit-making), and give charity to the poor.
Tngai Laeung Saka / Vearak Loeng Sak (Day 3): The final day involves the Srohm Chhat (bathing the Buddha statues) and bathing elders and monks with scented water to ask for forgiveness and receive blessings.
Festive Activities: Traditional games like chol chhoung (throwing chhoung bags), bos angkunh (seed throwing), and loak sang (pot smashing) are popular, along with traditional performances.

Cultural Significance:
Family & Community: It is a time to pay respect to ancestors and elders, fostering gratitude and community solidarity.
Culture & Tradition: The celebration highlights Khmer traditions, including dressing in traditional attire, preparing traditional foods like Num-Chrut (Tet cake), and visiting traditional, ornate pagodas, as noted on this page and in Wikipedia’s article.
Regional Celebration: While primarily in Cambodia, it is celebrated by the Khmer ethnic minority in Vietnam, particularly in the Mekong Delta region