Lunar New Year in the Khmer ethnic minority region

While the apricot blossoms are in full bloom, the Khmer villages and hamlets are also bustling with preparations to welcome the New Year.

Many Khmer temples in the villages of Soc Trang province are beautifully decorated to welcome the Lunar New Year. (Photo: Phuong Nghi)

As an ethnic group with many festivals throughout the year, the Khmer people living in the Mekong Delta have long considered the Lunar New Year of the Kinh people as one of their own national festivals (called the Vietnamese New Year).

This spring, visiting Soc Trang and its Khmer communities will allow you to hear vibrant sounds and feel a new surge of vitality. Today's villages have truly undergone a transformation thanks to the Party and State's dedicated care, especially the efforts of local Party committees, authorities, and the Khmer people themselves.

Mr. Thach Ro Thi from Phnor Kom Pot hamlet (Tham Don commune, My Xuyen district) proudly said: “This year, my whole family is celebrating Tet (Vietnamese New Year) on a grand scale. After a year of hard work, my family has saved up some money to prepare for the New Year. Although it is a traditional Vietnamese New Year, the Khmer people still join in the festivities. We consider Tet Nguyen Dan (Lunar New Year) an indispensable activity alongside the Sen Dolta and Chol Chnam Thmay festivals.”

Speaking about preparations for the New Year, Mr. Thach Cong, Head of the Fatherland Front Committee of Phnor Kom Pot hamlet (Tham Don commune, My Xuyen district), shared: “About half a month before Tet, the Tet atmosphere is already filling the villages. We encourage people to clean their yards and common roads to make them more presentable. Those who can afford it renovate their houses to make them more spacious. Like the Vietnamese people, we believe that cleaning and beautifying our homes for Tet will bring good things in the New Year.”

Khmer people often visit temples during the first days of the new year. (Photo: Phuong Nghi)

For reasons unknown, the Khmer people have also had the custom of planting apricot blossom trees outside their gates. These large apricot trees, with their vibrant yellow blossoms, make spring even more beautiful. A unique aspect of the Khmer New Year customs is that many families take the opportunity to visit temples to pray to Buddha on the last day of the year.

Mr. Lam Suol from Dai Ui hamlet (Phu My commune, My Tu district) said: “No matter what Khmer people do, they must go to the pagoda, because that is our culture. After that, everyone returns home to worship their ancestors and celebrate New Year's Eve like the Kinh people. Similar to other ethnic groups, the Lunar New Year is also a time for Khmer people to gather with their families. On New Year's Eve, Khmer people prepare a feast to worship their ancestors. Besides focusing on the winter-spring rice crop, we also plant more crops, raise chickens and ducks to sell before Tet, prepare money to buy clothes for our children and grandchildren, food, drinks, decorate the house, and make other preparations... Many families also visit relatives far away.”

A glimpse of spring in Tha La hamlet (Ngoc Bien commune, Tra Cu district, Tra Vinh province) with the vibrant atmosphere of the Khmer people celebrating the Lunar New Year. (Photo: Phuong Nghi)

In Tha La hamlet (Ngoc Bien commune, Tra Cu district, Tra Vinh province), the Party and State have implemented many programs and projects to improve the lives of the Khmer people. With a stable economy , decent housing, and children attending school, the atmosphere for celebrating the Lunar New Year is even more vibrant. Mr. Danh Phine, from Tha La hamlet, said: “For the Khmer people, the Lunar New Year is just as important as the Sen Dolta and Chol Chnam Thmay festivals, which commemorate ancestors. The Lunar New Year is a time for family reunions and remembering ancestors. During the New Year, some Khmer temples also organize cultural activities for us to enjoy, making the New Year atmosphere even more lively.”

With enthusiastic anticipation for the Lunar New Year 2025, Mr. Thach Thuonl, a respected figure in the community of Soc Tre hamlet (Phu Can commune, Tieu Can district, Tra Vinh province), and the Khmer people in the hamlet are looking forward to a better and more prosperous life in the future. Mr. Kien Thuonl said: “I told the people that this Tet holiday, we Khmer people must be happier and strive to escape poverty. In particular, we must strictly adhere to maintaining security and order when participating in celebrations, so that we can all look forward to a joyful and peaceful spring.”

The Khmer people of Southern Vietnam always preserve and promote their national cultural identity. (Photo: Phuong Nghi)

Although Tet Nguyen Dan (Lunar New Year) is not the official New Year of the Khmer people, every spring, when the apricot blossoms bloom, the Khmer villages and hamlets are filled with a vibrant atmosphere of welcoming spring with many joyful and meaningful cultural and artistic activities, fostering a strong sense of community solidarity.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tet-nguyen-dan-o-vung-dong-bao-dan-toc-khmer-302775.html