Water Festival
Last night we had our first experience with a Cambodian festival/holiday. This one is known as Bon Om Tuk, or the Water Festival. Here's a little primer from the Phnom Penh Post:
"The beloved, 800-year-old Water Festival is held at the end of the monsoon season on November's full moon. It marks one of the most dramatic - and certainly most popular - riparian events on earth. The Tonle Sap water system reverses its course with the onset of the rainy season about April, flooding the Great Lake to the north with vast quantities of fresh water pouring down the Mekong from Tibet. When the dry season arrives, the Tonle Sap returns to its southward course, draining the lake - along with rich alluvial soil - back into the Mekong."
So there you have it, I couldn't have put it better myself. The realities of the last few days of the festival have been far more interesting than that though...
We've learned that Cambodians take their holidays VERY seriously. This isn't President's Day or Memorial Day, where you get a day off of work and maybe go to a car sale or have a BBQ. This is a huge event that involves traveling from all over the country to the cities (apparently there were between 2 and 3 million revelers in Phnom Penh - and on a stinkier note, only 200 porta potties). In fact, if you are unable to get time off work, you contemplate quitting your job.
After dinner last night we walked along the river and saw one of the most beautiful sites of the festival. Thousands of candles set atop all sorts of contraptions - ranging in size from a paper plate to a small television - floating along the river. That combined with the full moon, fireworks, and large illuminated floats on the opposite river bank made for a true sight to behold. In addition to all that was a sort of street fair happening along side the river. For those of you from NYC, I can best liken it to the Colombus Street Fair. Lots of people, street food, music, dancing, and general celebration of simply being all together.
It was really fun to see and hear and even smell - and made us glad to have taken the night off work as well...
"The beloved, 800-year-old Water Festival is held at the end of the monsoon season on November's full moon. It marks one of the most dramatic - and certainly most popular - riparian events on earth. The Tonle Sap water system reverses its course with the onset of the rainy season about April, flooding the Great Lake to the north with vast quantities of fresh water pouring down the Mekong from Tibet. When the dry season arrives, the Tonle Sap returns to its southward course, draining the lake - along with rich alluvial soil - back into the Mekong."
So there you have it, I couldn't have put it better myself. The realities of the last few days of the festival have been far more interesting than that though...
We've learned that Cambodians take their holidays VERY seriously. This isn't President's Day or Memorial Day, where you get a day off of work and maybe go to a car sale or have a BBQ. This is a huge event that involves traveling from all over the country to the cities (apparently there were between 2 and 3 million revelers in Phnom Penh - and on a stinkier note, only 200 porta potties). In fact, if you are unable to get time off work, you contemplate quitting your job.
After dinner last night we walked along the river and saw one of the most beautiful sites of the festival. Thousands of candles set atop all sorts of contraptions - ranging in size from a paper plate to a small television - floating along the river. That combined with the full moon, fireworks, and large illuminated floats on the opposite river bank made for a true sight to behold. In addition to all that was a sort of street fair happening along side the river. For those of you from NYC, I can best liken it to the Colombus Street Fair. Lots of people, street food, music, dancing, and general celebration of simply being all together.
It was really fun to see and hear and even smell - and made us glad to have taken the night off work as well...
posted by Darcey at 7:57 PM
1 Comments:
Hey You crazy kids!! I am contemplating quitting my job to get tothe festival!! Glad to hear you are doing so well and making a go of it(he says with a tone that can only be described as jealousy). Can't wait to read more! Be safe and keep writing!
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