Chol Ch'nam Th'may Festival

Illustration: HIEN TRI

Duong fumbled around to rinse the teapot and make tea. He asked Nuon Chia: “When is Chol ch’nam th’may?”. Nuon Chia replied: “Chol ch’nam th’may takes place over three days, from the thirteenth to the fifteenth of April. In many places it lasts until the seventeenth of April.” The pipe was empty and he asked: “What day is it today?”. Seng Tuk said: “This weekend is Chol ch’nam th’may. We have a day off and celebrate the festival with the Khmer people in Snoul.” Kim Xarươn added: “Everyone, remember when you go out to celebrate Chol ch’nam th’may with the Khmer people, wrap your papers and money in a plastic bag to avoid getting them wet. During the festival, the Khmer people bless their relatives, friends, and guests from near and far by splashing water on them… The Khmer people believe that whoever gets splashed with water and gets soaked like a drowned rat will have good luck in the new year.”

It was still raining, though not heavily. Nuon Chia said that Chol ch'nam th'may is the most important festival of the year, so before the festival, Khmer people go to pagodas in the village to help monks bathe the Buddha, clean the altars, and sweep the temple grounds. "Most Khmer people follow Buddhism, they live a good life and consider this life to be temporary," Kim Xaruon added.

The Vietnamese workers wanted to learn more about Chol ch'nam th'may, so they asked the Cambodian workers to explain more. They enthusiastically explained. Chol ch'nam th'may lasts for three days. The first day is called maha songkran, the beginning of a new year. The second day is called uanabot, the day to show filial piety to ancestors, grandparents, and parents. The third day is called th'ngây leng saka, the day to receive good luck in the new year.

Like the Vietnamese, the Khmer people on the occasion of Chol ch'nam th'may also prepare many traditional dishes to treat neighbors and friends who come to visit their home. Bai xach ch'rut is a grilled pork rib rice dish. Amok is a dish of steamed fish in coconut milk wrapped in banana leaves. Num ansom is a banh tet with banana or mung bean filling. During the three days of the festival, there are folk games such as boat racing on the river, building sand mountains, building sand towers, singing and dancing Apsara, singing and dancing Romvong...

- It is impossible to tell everything about Chol ch'nam th'may! - Seng Tuk said.

- On the weekend, go to Snoul town, you will feel what Khmer New Year is like! - Soul Bay said.

On the day of maha songkran, around nine o'clock in the morning, The, Mac, Dao, Dieu, Duong and the "four" including Ho Tien Loi, Mai Hoang Luong, Nguyen Dai Tu and Tran Boi Tin invited each other to go out to Snoul town. At the intersection ahead, there was a pile of people moving high, surrounded by a crowd of people laughing and cheering enthusiastically. Curious, some Vietnamese workers strode forward. And they were splashed with water. Five roteko (1) carried large plastic barrels filled with water with Khmer boys and girls standing there scooping water and splashing it on the crowd on both sides of the road and shouting loudly: "Ch'nam th'may samakhi!" (2).

Many people in the crowd also used coconut shells and plastic cups to scoop water from the buckets, pots and jars that people had placed on both sides of the road and splashed it on the people standing on the rotukos, shouting: “Ch’nam th’may samakhi!”. Then, Mac, Dao, Dieu, Duong and the “four” joined the frenzied crowd moving on the road. Seeing that the Vietnamese workers were sober, the Khmer men brought wine and invited them to drink. They said: “Drinking a little wine on Chol ch’nam th’may festival is fun”. At first, the Vietnamese workers were still hesitant and reserved, but when they had a little bit of alcohol in them, they quickly joined the crowd. They also joined in the “ch’nam th’may samakhi” chant and eagerly scooped water from the buckets, pots and jars placed on both sides of the road and splashed it on the cars and the crowd, to the cheers of everyone.

Wherever the roteko passed, The did not know who was pumping water into it, but the young men and women standing on the carts kept splashing water everywhere but it never ran out. Those water tanks were like Thach Sanh's rice pot in the Vietnamese fairy tale, always emptying and then filling up again.

The Vietnamese workers felt hungry and tired, they left the crowd and walked onto the sidewalk as the sun cast round shadows under their feet. Chey Moan led his friends to meet the Vietnamese workers, inviting them to his house in Kh'riêl Kô village to celebrate Chol ch'nam th'may.

The ancient mango tree cast a cool shade over the large yard. There was a large, long plank resting on six wooden stakes fixed into the ground. So were the two chairs on either side of the table. Fen Maly, Chey Moan’s wife, ladled the freshly cooked food onto plates. Chey Moan and a few of his friends helped carry it. In a flash, everything was neatly arranged on the table along with three jars of amber wine.

Chey Moan invited everyone to be seated. He rubbed his hands and said: “On the occasion of Chol ch'nam th'may, my family invites dear Vietnamese and dear Khmer friends to join in the fun. In particular, Pu Hen, an elder in Kh'riêl Kô village, is also present, which is a great honor for my family. Please everyone raise your glasses to “Vietnam - Cambodia samakhi”.

Everyone shouted “Vietnam - Cambodia samakhi” and drank their glasses. There were about twenty people in total, eating and chatting with each other. Chey Moan was punished with a glass for not giving notice, which put the Vietnamese workers in a passive position. Chey Moan smiled and accepted. After finishing the penalty glass, Chey Moan said that not giving notice was more fun because it was a surprise.

Khmer cuisine has similarities with Vietnamese cuisine, so everyone finds it delicious. According to Pu Hen, only the fish sauce is different! Vietnamese fish sauce is not suitable for Khmer people because it is too salty! On the contrary, Khmer fish sauce is not suitable for Vietnamese people because it is bland and has a strong smell.

The party lasted past noon. When the party ended, several Vietnamese workers slept on the floor of the Chey Moan house.

Late afternoon. Kh'riêl Kô village is bustling with laughter.

So he was the first to wake up. He shook Mac, Dao, Dieu, Duong, Ho Tien Loi, Mai Hoan Luong, Nguyen Dai Tu and Tran Boi Tin. Fen Maly smiled and asked: “Are you guys awake? You drank too much wine, are you tired?”. Mac blamed Chey Moan: “Why didn’t you wake us up early to go home? Now we’ve missed the chance to go to Snoul town to watch the romvong dance…”. Chey Moan waved his hand: “Don’t worry! Tonight, Kromia village is by the big stream dancing romvong until morning. After dinner, if you guys like, I’ll take you there…”.

The sky was getting dark. The sound of the toro and the siko drums echoed from Kromia village. Chey Moan led some Vietnamese brothers to watch the romvong dance. The yard of Kromia pagoda was large and spacious, with four bright electric lights in the four corners.

The Vietnamese brothers and Chey Moan stood in the crowd around them, watching the Khmer boys and girls in pairs dancing in a circle, rotating counterclockwise. The and Mac quietly observed. One hand was raised to spread out the five lotus petals, the other hand was lowered to fold the fingers and bend them. One leg stepped forward to support the other leg, turning sideways and shaking the hips. The movements of the arms and legs were rhythmic and graceful to the sound of the siko drum, the sound of the roto, and the rhythm of the humming song. The girls' faces were especially radiant with flirtatious eyes and bright smiles on their lips.

Chey Moan stood next to The and Mac and said: “Romvong dancing is simple, you can learn it after just a little watching”. The asked: “What songs do they sing that have smooth and deep melodies?” Chey Moan said: “When dancing romvong, people often sing Khmer folk songs such as Chiec khan hong, Bong hoa dua, Bai ca chim sao, Bai ca cay muom…”.

While they were absorbed in admiring the night scene, Thế, Mạc, Diệu and Dương were suddenly approached by two Khmer girls, who stood up and spread their hands: “Please join us in dancing the romvông to celebrate the Chol ch’nam th’may festival”. Diệu and Dương were so frightened that they retreated and blended into the crowd. Thế and Mạc stood rooted to the spot, confused. Someone standing next to them handed Chey Moan a bottle of wine and each of the two girls a porcelain cup. Chey Moan filled the two porcelain cups with wine, and the two girls leaned forward to invite Thế and Mạc. Chey Moan said: “Drink up the cups, then you two can dance the romvông to get the “pick up”.

One shot, three or seven shots. Thế and Mạc finished their cups of wine at the same time as the singing, the music, and the drumming began. Together with everyone else, Thế and Mạc and the two girls entered the romvông dance circle. When the song ended, Thế and Mạc bowed to the two girls and returned to their old places. Seeing that Thế and Mạc were not too bad at “flailing their arms and legs”, Đạo, Diệu, Dương, Hồ Tiến Lợi, Mai Hoàn Lương, Nguyễn Đại Tự, and Trần Bội Tín also drank their wine and boldly entered the romvông dance.

The crowd standing around clapped their hands in encouragement. Mac told The: “When participating in this group dance, it is easy for boys and girls to get to know each other. Perhaps that is why back then there were many Vietnamese volunteer soldiers planting “Si” trees in the hamlets”. The nodded in agreement.

The atmosphere of the romvong festival night of Tet Chol Ch'nam Th'may in Kromia village became more and more exciting as the night went on. The singing and the sound of drums and instruments attracted people into circles of people dancing counterclockwise. Some Vietnamese brothers also enthusiastically joined in. Spring seemed to be opening in the hearts of the boys and girls...

(1) Khmer means ox cart, a popular means of transport in rural areas of Cambodia.

(2) Khmer means new year of unity.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/tet-chol-ch-nam-th-may-3152650.html