The Best of Cambodia & Laos

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PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO CAMBODIA
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CAMBODIA CALENDAR OF EVENTS
CAMBODIA CALENDAR OF EVENTS
For an exhaustive list of events beyond those listed here, check http://events.
frommers.com, where you’ll find a searchable, up-to-the-minute roster of what’s
happening in cities all over the world.
JANUARY
International New Year’s Day. Your
standard countdown and party, sans
Dick Clark. January 1.
Liberation Day. This holiday commemorates
the fall of the Khmer Rouge
in 1979 and honors those lost during
the regime’s rule and subsequent wars.
January 7.
Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year
is not an official holiday in Cambodia
but is widely celebrated anyway, primarily
by those of Chinese descent and
ethnic Vietnamese. February 14, 2010;
February 3, 2011.
FEBRUARY
Meak Bochea Day (Magha Puja Day).
Takes place on the full moon to commemorate
the speech given by the Lord
Buddha to 1,250 enlightened monks
who had gathered with no organization
or prior warning. In the evening, people
visit the temple to make offerings. February
21, 2010; February 19, 2011.
MARCH
International Women’s Day. This day
is significant in Cambodia, and raises
awareness concerning gender issues.
There are often parades with floats in
major towns. March 8.
APRIL
Khmer New Year (Chaul Chhnam
Thmey). Along with Ph’chum Benh and
the Water Festival, Khmer New Year is
one of the most important and popular
holidays of the year, celebrated for 3
days in mid-April. The festival is all
about water in daily life, and during
this festival you will experience the reality
of water over and over again (though
unlike in neighboring countries, the
Cambodian authorities have controlled
it from becoming too out of hand).
April 14 to April 16, 2010; April 13 to
April 15, 2011.
MAY
International Labor Day. This is a
relatively quiet holiday, where labor
unions will sometimes organize events.
May 1.
Birthday of the King. Born in 1953,
this day celebrates the birthday of the
present king who has been on the
throne since 2004 when his father, King
Sihanouk, abdicated in his favor. May
13 to May 15.
Royal Plowing Ceremony (Bonn
Chroat Preah Nongkoal). This marks the
start of the rainy season and the planting
season. In a ceremony led by the
king, elaborately decorated sacred cows
plow a symbolic furrow and are then
led to trays containing rice, corn, beans,
and other foods. These ceremonies are
held next to the Royal Palace. May 23,
2010; 2011 dates to be confirmed by
astrologers.
Visaka Bochea Day. This festival celebrates
the birth, enlightenment, and
death of the Lord Buddha. It is held on
the 15th day of the sixth lunar month.
Candlelit processions take place in the
evening. Late May.
JUNE
Birthday of the Former Queen. Celebrates
the birthday of the Queen
Mother, Norodom Monineath Sihanouk,
wife of the former king who
abdicated in 2004. June 18.
SEPTEMBER
Constitution Day. In 1993 the new
constitution was adopted on this day.
September 24.