The villages joyfully celebrate the Chol Chnam Thmay New Year in a complete and warm atmosphere.

Chol Chnam Thmay, the "birthday" festival of the Khmer ethnic group in the Mekong Delta provinces, will take place from April 14-16 this year; amidst the joy of a bountiful rice harvest and high shrimp prices, the Khmer people are celebrating a warm and culturally rich festival.

In the days leading up to Chol Chnam Thmay (Khmer New Year), visiting villages with large Khmer populations allows one to truly experience the atmosphere of their traditional New Year celebration. Khmer families, outside of their work and production hours, are busy preparing, cleaning, and decorating their homes to make them neat and beautiful. Artists are focused on repairing their traditional musical instruments. Young men and women are engrossed in practicing traditional dances to showcase their talents and beauty during the upcoming New Year celebrations…

Celebrating the New Year, the traditional Chol Chnam Thmay festival, the Khmer people are joyful and hopeful for good things in the coming year. (Photo: Phuong Nghi)

Visiting Minh Hoa commune (Chau Thanh district, Kien Giang province) reveals the full extent of the transformation. Along the paved and concrete rural roads are newly built houses, ensuring that Khmer households no longer have to worry about leaky roofs during the rainy season.

As one of the households receiving housing support from the National Target Program for Socio -Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas (National Target Program 1719), Mr. Danh Thang's family in Hoa Hung hamlet, Minh Hoa commune, is delighted that their new house has been completed for over three months. A veteran of advanced age and frail health, Mr. Thang and his family had lived for many years in an old, dilapidated house. When the government provided 50 million VND in support, his family contributed an additional 20 million VND to build a new house.

Mr. Danh Thang shared his joy: “We are deeply moved and grateful for the government's support in building our new house. Now, my family no longer has to worry about using buckets and basins to catch rainwater inside the house during the rainy season due to leaks in the roof. This year's Chol Chnam Thmay New Year will be very joyful for my family.”

The family of Mr. Danh Thang, residing in Hoa Hung hamlet, Minh Hoa commune (Chau Thanh district, Kien Giang province), received a house built with housing support funds from the National Target Program 1719. (Photo: Phuong Nghi)

As one of the Khmer ethnic households receiving housing support from the local authorities, Ms. Danh Thi Heng, residing in Hamlet 6, Vinh Hoa Hung Nam Commune (Go Quao District, Kien Giang Province), shared: “Our family life is difficult, and the main source of income for my husband and I comes from working as laborers. Providing food and clothing for our children is our top priority. Therefore, even though we live in a dilapidated, leaky house, we don't have the means to repair or renovate it.”

"At the most difficult time, the government facilitated our family's access to preferential policy loans under Decree No. 28/2022/ND-CP (on preferential credit policies for implementing National Target Program 1719) to build a house. With this money, my family was able to build a new house with an area of ​​32 square ^meters . Now, my wife and I work hard to provide for our lives."

Mr. Danh Phuc, Head of the Ethnic Affairs Committee of Kien Giang province, said: “After more than 3 years of implementing the National Target Program 1719 for the period 2021-2025; by the end of 2023, Kien Giang had provided land support for 31 households; housing support for 383 households; support for production land and vocational retraining for 236 households; resolved the issue of scattered water supply for 472 households; and upgraded and expanded 14 centralized water supply projects in ethnic minority areas with a total implementation cost of over 74 billion VND. To date, the shortage of land for housing, housing, production land, and water supply has been basically resolved...”.

In communes with large Khmer populations such as Vinh Trach Dong ( Bac Lieu City), Hung Hoi (Vinh Loi District), Vinh Hau A (Hoa Binh District), Loc Ninh (Hong Dan District), Vinh Phu Dong (Phuoc Long District)..., traveling along the roads leading to the villages and hamlets, we witnessed the vibrant atmosphere of the New Year celebrations among the Khmer people of Bac Lieu. Seeing the current state of the villages and hamlets, we clearly felt the significant impact and benefits of policies dành for ethnic minorities, which have brought many projects to these particularly disadvantaged communes and hamlets, meeting the needs of the people and serving the socio-economic development requirements of the locality.

A memorial service is held during the traditional Chol Chnam Thmay New Year festival at Xiêm Cán Pagoda, Bac Lieu City, Bac Lieu Province. (Photo: Phuong Nghi)

According to Venerable Thich Huu Hinh, Chairman of the Patriotic Monks' Solidarity Association of Bac Lieu province, the lives of the Khmer people have improved significantly thanks to the effective implementation of specific programs, policies, and projects of the Government and ministries for the Khmer people. I often advise our people to live healthily and frugally so that we can work together with the authorities to build a more prosperous and beautiful homeland.

“Implementing the National Target Program 1719 for the period 2021-2030, the province has invested billions of dong to purchase traditional five-tone musical instruments, build and repair traditional Khmer boats, invest in crematoriums, and construct main halls for temples. In addition, many temples and Salatels (places for Khmer people to participate in community cultural activities) in areas with a large Khmer population have received support to promote and develop traditional art forms of the ethnic group,” said Venerable Thich Huu Hinh.

Visiting Cai Gia hamlet (Hung Hoi commune, Vinh Loi district, Bac Lieu province) these days, you'll easily see families preparing for Tet (Lunar New Year). With the meaning of starting a new year, everyone is excitedly cleaning and decorating their homes. Although life is becoming increasingly modern, many families still preserve traditional customs such as making gingerbread and cooking noodle soup during Tet.

Ms. Thach Thi So Phi expressed: “This year, the harvest in our village has been very promising, and our lives are gradually improving. Therefore, everyone is excited to prepare for a warm and prosperous Tet holiday. Even though my children work far away, they still return home to reunite and celebrate New Year's Eve together, spending happy Tet days together.”

Mr. Ngo Vu Thang, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Bac Lieu province, said: “In recent years, many specific policies and guidelines for ethnic minorities of the Party and State have always been given attention and directed by the Party committees and authorities of Bac Lieu province to be implemented promptly, strictly, and effectively. Notably, under the National Target Program 1719, in 2023 alone, from the allocated capital of the Central Government and the local counterpart budget, Bac Lieu disbursed nearly 42 billion VND to invest in infrastructure construction, production support, housing, clean water support, and vocational retraining… helping thousands of Khmer households develop production and improve the material and spiritual lives of the people.”

Along with taking care of the material well-being, the preservation and promotion of the traditional cultural identity of the Khmer ethnic people is given special attention by the Party committees and authorities at all levels in Bac Lieu province.

In many villages with large Khmer populations, young men and women are diligently practicing traditional dances to showcase their talents and beauty during the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) celebrations. (Photo: Phuong Nghi)

The changes and prosperity in the villages are evident in the way the Khmer people in the Mekong Delta celebrate their New Year. The gentle sunshine interspersed with unseasonal rains in April have eased the heat, creating a cool atmosphere for the people to celebrate Chol Chnam Thmay even more joyfully. Thus, villages throughout the Mekong Delta are about to welcome a warm, vibrant, and colorful traditional New Year. After the three days of the New Year, it is hoped that the people will have a successful harvest and continue to preserve and promote their Khmer cultural identity in this new era.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/phum-soc-vui-don-tet-chol-chnam-thmay-day-du-am-ap-267016.html