Chol Chnam Thmay Festival

          This holiday is the New Year festival in ancient calendar of Khmer people. Held in mid-April, the festival occurs in 3 days (4 days for the leap year). People prepare new clothes, food and drinks for whole festival days. They also repair, clean and decorate their house. Everyone is excited to care for holiday.

          At night of New Year's Eve, every family prepares a lavish meal, burns incense and candles to welcome the new god, farewell the old god. On the altar, they present 5 flower branches, 5 candles, 5 incense, 5 cereal seeds and fruit crops. They pray for health and luck in the New Year.

          On the first New Year - Chol Sangkran Chmay, major activities are bathing, dressing nice, bringing sacrifice gifts to the temple in good time which has been selected.
          On Wonbof day - the second day, they make rice offerings and cover the sand mountain. People cook rice and bring it to the temple in the morning and the afternoon.

          On Lom Sak day - the third day, they do Buddha bathing and monk-bathing ceremony. In the morning. people bring breakfast to monks and listen to the sermon. At noon, they burn the lamps, offer sacrifice gifts and bring fragrant water to bathe Buddha statues. After the ceremony at the temple, the monks go to the grave to pray for the souls of those who died.

1.What is the festival?

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2. When is it held? And how long does it last?

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3.What do people prepare to celebrate the festival?

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4.How do Khmer people prepare the altar at night of New Year's Eve?

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5.What do people do on the first New Year Day?

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6.When do people cook rice and bring it to the temple?

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7.When do they do Buddha bathing and monk-bathing ceremony?

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8.What do the monks do after doing Buddha bathing and monk-bathing ceremony?

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