Chol Chnam Thmay Festival to be held in Hanoi
Celebrations of the Khmer people’s Chol Chnam Thmay Festival will be re-enacted at the Culture-Tourism Village of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups (Dong Mo, Son Tay, Hanoi) on April 15.
The Chol Chnam Thmay Festival in Hanoi is expected to see the attendance of dignitaries of the Vietnamese Buddhist Asssociation, representatives of Theravada Buddhism, members of the clergy, Buddhists as well as local and international visitors from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and students from such countries who study in Hanoi.
Like traditional lunar New Year of other ethnic groups, the Chol Chnam Thmay festival of Khmer peope has the same meaning with several different customs and habits as characterized by Khmer people’s culture; and all activities at the festival are taken place at pagoda.
The Chol Chnam Thmay festival means the “New Year” (also called new-age festival) and lasts from 1st to 3rd day of Chet month according to Buddhist calendar (equivalent to the 13th to 15th day of April by solar calendar).
Khmer people’s Chol Chnam Thmay festival, which is like Vietnamese people’s Tet (traditional Lunar New Year), is the significant and most expected one in the year. It conveys the important meaning of opening the New Year and new crop and also as the happiest day of the New Year. At this event, the young people in the villages shall get acquainted with each other and possibly get married in the future…
Besides, a chain of other activities to commemorate 5 years of the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 1668/QD-TTg dated November 17, 2008 on Vietnam Peoples’ Culture Day (19/4/2009-19/4/2014) will also run at the event, included: Conference “Establishment of project on organization of annual events at Culture-Tourism Village of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups in the 2015-2020 period” (on April 17th) in order to complete and establish systems of topics and contents for annual events at Culture-Tourism Village of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups in the 2015-2020 period; Conference summarizing 5 years of implementing the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 1668/QD-TTg dated November 17, 2008 on Vietnam Peoples’ Culture Day to assess the results; also determine orientations and implementation measures in the next period.
Moreover, from April 15 to 20, 2014, a cuisine fest showcasing specialities from the northern, central and southern regions, particularly those of Thai, Muong, Mong, Kinh, Hoa, Khmer people…, shall be introduced to the local people and visitors.
Thuy An
