Cambodian New Year in Siem Reap

Siem Reap is a popular tourist city in Cambodia. In addition to eat food in Siem Reap, celebrate a Cambodian traditional festival – Khmer New Year is an interesting and special experience. Ancestors' Day (Pchum Ben), the Water Festival (Bon Om Tuk) and the New Year (Khmer New Year) are the three most important festivals in Cambodia. As one of the three most important festivals in Cambodia, The Cambodian New Year is also called the Songkran Festival in Southeast Asia.

When is Cambodian New Year?

Cambodian New Year is usually celebrated for three days from April 13 to April 15.

Where to celebrate Cambodian New Year?

There is a festival in Siem Reap , called "Angkor Songkran Festival" has been held since 2013. If you want to experience the Songkran Festival and want to stagger Thailand travel boom, you may wish to spend a different Songkran Festival in the Angkor Dynasty!

During the New Year in Cambodia, most of the temples are in carnival scenes, mainly in Angkor Wat in Siem Reap and Wat Phnom in Phnom Penh.

Why celebrate Khmer New Year?

One of the purposes of the New Year is to greet the old year and welcome the new year. Another more important purpose is that young people are looking for lovers in the New Year during the celebration.

How to celebrate the Cambodia New Year?

People go to the temple to burn incense, give gifts to each other, and splash water and talcum powder on each other. During the Cambodia New Year, merchants will use various means to carry out promotional activities.

How people celebrate the New Year in Siem Reap?

1、Spree with splashing water

The biggest feature of Songkran Festival is the splashing of water. April is the hottest time in Cambodia. At this time, playing with water, it is also a summer vacation! Nowadays, Songkran Festival is famous among foreign tourists. Europeans and Americans who involve in it are not uncommon during the celebration.

2、Go to the temple to feel the atmosphere of the Cambodian New Year

As we all know, Thailand is known as the country of thousands of Buddha, but Cambodia is also a full-fledged "Buddha country", and more than 95% of its residents believe in Buddhism.

►3 steps of celebration of Cambodian New Year

• First day: Songkran day

On this day, Cambodians clean the house, go to the temple to burn incense and worship the ancestors to greet the New Year.

• Second day: Ban Na Bat day

On this day, Cambodians thank to the elders and parents, and give money to the poor. At night, on go to the temple to build sand and pray for peace to the monks.

• Third day: Lerng Sak day

On this day, on will use perfume to clean the Buddha statue, and will also use perfume to spray the elders. Cambodians believe that this will bring longevity and happiness.

These three days New Year is closely related to Buddhism, and you can feel the importance of Buddha in Cambodia! Let's go to some representative temples, experience the baptism of piety, and go through an authentic Cambodian New Year!

3、Go to Angkor Wat to imitate the smile of Khmer

The Angkor Scenic Area is open to the public free of charge during the Cambodian New Year!

The free opening time of Angkor Scenic Area is from April 13th to April 16th. It is not necessary to buy tickets to enter the scenic spot. You can go to the square in front of Angkor. But if you want to enter Angkor Wat, Bayon or other attractions, you still have to have a ticket.

In Siem Reap, in addition to large-scale performing arts events and exhibitions in the scenic area, Khmer traditional games such as tug-of-war, casserole, burlap, and splashing water will be organized, and the whole Siem Reap will be lively.

4、Follow the international tourists to smash the night

The New Year is a carnival of Cambodians, and it is also a carnival of foreign tourists from all over the world gather in Cambodia. Regardless difference of culture, skin and language, everyone gathers in Pub Street of Siem Reap to celebrate the New Year! There are countless restaurants, roadside snacks, shows, barbecues to choose, and it’s important that the lights and streets are filled with foreign atmosphere. Take part in this carnival with the beautiful girls and the handsome boys!

To learn more, visit our detailed Siem Reap section.