As April's fickle weather shifts between sunlight and breeze, Candaransi Pagoda sheds its usual solemnity, becoming animated with a festive spirit. The air hums with the resonant sounds of temple bells and the rhythmic beat of the wooden fish drum, a vibrant counterpoint to the warm laughter shared by monks and lay Buddhists. Anticipation builds as everyone awaits the midnight chime, signaling the arrival of the Khmer New Year.
Celebrated annually in mid-April, Chôl Chnăm Thmây holds deep spiritual and cultural significance for the Khmer people. Originating in 7th-century Cambodia, the enduring traditions of this important festival have been carefully preserved and passed down through generations by Khmer communities worldwide.
Vietnamese media often frame Chôl Chnăm Thmây as a traditional “Tết” holiday, noting compelling parallels with Tết Nguyên Đán: both serve as pivotal junctures between the old and new year, offering a cherished occasion for familial reunions, expressions of ancestral gratitude, and the celebration of the fruits of their labor.
Yet, in contrast to the Kinh majority, Khmer society maintains an intimate and profound connection to its faith, particularly Theravada Buddhism. From the rhythms of daily life to the observance of national holidays, representations of the Buddha command the most venerated position. Chôl Chnăm Thmây, fittingly, is deeply resonant with this spiritual ethos.
The festival's progression is dictated by the Buddhist lunar calendar, its ceremonies and traditions drawing deeply from Buddhist lore. Communal gatherings, acts of worship, and the performance of meritorious deeds within the serene compounds of pagodas are indispensable threads in the fabric of the sacred occasion.
Established in 1946, Candaransi Pagoda stands as one of the two principal centers of Theravada Buddhism in Saigon. Within its walls, religious ceremonies, language classes, and significant cultural festivals for the Khmer community are regularly held. The pagoda not only serves over 24,000 Khmer residents of the city but also warmly welcomes visitors from other ethnic groups seeking to learn and explore. Each Chôl Chnăm Thmây, Candaransi Pagoda transforms into a vibrant gathering place where people converge to joyously celebrate the New Year according to Khmer traditions.
The Khmer tradition of celebrating their New Year in April traces its origins to the zenith of the Angkor Empire. It was during this golden age that the Khmer monarch decreed the shifting of their own new year from the 11th to the 5th lunar month, aligning with April in the Gregorian calendar. Speculation suggests the sovereign behind this edict may have been either Suriyavarman II, the visionary builder of Angkor Wat, or Jayavarman VII, the first Buddhist king of the Khmer realm.
The inaugural day of the grand celebration, known as Sangkran Thmây, marks the pivotal moment of transition. According to Venerable Danh Lung, the abbot of Candaransi Pagoda, the Khmer understanding of this transition differs from the precise “zero hour, zero minute” of the Gregorian or Lunar New Year. Instead, it is defined by the descent of a celestial being — one of the seven daughters of the creator deity Maha Prum — to Earth. These divine emissaries sequentially descend to assume the responsibility of watching over the world, succeeding the deity of the preceding year.
A statue of Maha Prum, the four-faced creator deity in Khmer mythology.
The most significant ritual of this day, therefore, is the welcoming ceremony for the celestial beings. On the morning of Sangkran Thmây, Khmer people don their finest attire and gather within the grounds of Candaransi Pagoda. Here, monks and lay Buddhists offer incense to the Buddha and beseech the descending deity for a year filled with blessings. The time for the welcoming ceremony varies each year, calculated according to the lunar cycle, typically adding six hours to the previous year's time.
Throughout the celestial welcoming ritual, the senior monks dedicate time to expounding upon the Buddhist narratives that underpin the Chôl Chnăm Thmây observances. Within the attentive crowd, one can observe not only Khmer faces but also those of Thai, Lao, and Myanmar individuals studying and working in Saigon. Notably, a considerable number of Kinh, Chinese, and Chăm compatriots also join in the festivities, lending their support to the significant day of their neighboring community.
Each year, the descending celestial being is depicted with distinct imagery, colors, and symbolic accoutrements, varying according to the lunar calendar. In certain years, the deity might be portrayed astride an elephant, clad in deep blue, wielding a ring and a firearm; the symbolic offerings also shift, featuring sesame and beans in some years, and other food in others.
In recent years, to accommodate the needs of expatriates unable to return to their ancestral homes, the celestial welcoming ceremony at the pagoda is also broadcast live across social media platforms, allowing those far away to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the observance.
Following the welcoming of the deity, visitors gradually stream into the prayer hall to participate in the offering ceremony, the ritual presentation of food and alms to the monastic community. This act embodies gratitude, expressing reverence for those who uphold the Buddhist faith. All offerings are voluntarily contributed by lay devotees. Families undertaking the primary responsibility for preparing the offerings are known as “đăng cai,” while those assisting are called “sớt bát.” Before partaking in the meal, monks and lay practitioners together perform an incense offering and chant prayers for ancestors and departed souls.
Among those presenting offerings, not all are Khmer. “My husband used to live in Cambodia, and he had a sister who passed away there," shared Ngọc Lan, one of the sớt bát participants. “My mother-in-law always reminds us that every year during Khmer New Year, the whole family should contribute to the offerings for her. It's only once a year, so I try my best to be here for the end-of-year ceremonies. Rice, soup, whatever I can manage, I'll do it.”
As the morning of the New Year's transition concludes, the gravity of the preceding rituals gracefully recedes, giving way to the animated murmur and laughter emanating from the assembled crowd. A palpable warmth fills the air, evident in the embraces and handshakes exchanged between compatriots, individuals from all walks of life and ethnicities drawn together by this singular occasion.
Offerings have been presented to the deities, and a generous feast awaits their pleasure. Above, the vibrant Buddhist flags stream in the wind, a promise of Khmer New Year blessings spreading across the land.
