Khmer New Year 14-16 April

Celebration #3

streets were indeed empty during the new year period. The streets became more dangerous, though, because the lesser number of vehicles took holiday from all traffic laws also so that red lights were meaningless. Drivers needed to be extremely cautious going through intersections.
These are squatter huts near the DDP office, built on the edge of the road. These are POOR people, and even they were gone during the holidays! Somehow they scraped together enough money to get back to home in the provinces, wherever that is.
The most efficient branch of city services, according to a 2008 survey, is the garbage collection department, but even they took the new year off, too. Piles of garbage appeared throughout the city to the delight of the birds, rats, chickens, dogs, and goats.
This spirit house, of Thai origin, is to placate the original spirits of the land the humans now occupy. The present occupants felt the spirits should enjoy the new year, too, though, and made offerings to the them.
A restaurant closed for the holidays but left its offerings to the ancestors out where the ancestor spirits could find them.
The bus bustling bus station was another place where a table was set up with offerings for the ancestral spirits. Again, this usually indicates a Chinese family's involvement. This type of offering is more Chinese than Khmer.
There are traditional new year games that are taught and played each year, and every year the children eagerly await them. Thus the Khmer culture is passed on from generation to generation.
Near the DDP office, all the people who couldn't afford to return to the provinces could at least get together and enjoy the holidays with all the neighbors.
Visiting is a part of the new year traditions, and even though we are Westerners, some staff from our projects came to visit John and Charlie. This woman brought a big bowl of traditional Khmer food for us to enjoy.
Some people can't afford to leave town. Others decide NOT to leave, thinking there's money to be made. This woman kept her vegetable stall open on the side of the regular market which was closed, and she had a steady stream of customers.
And the growing season can't wait on holidays so this man was bringing a load of cut vegetables into town from an outlying area. Unfortunately he broke down, but in true holiday spirit, many were willing to help get him moving again.