Wednesday, 18 January 2012
The Phnom Penh Post
Have we ever asked why we celebrate Chinese New Year in Cambodia? The Khmer-Chen, Cambodians with Chinese blood, make up fewer than nine per cent of the population. Unarguably, Cambodia, the Kingdom, and China, the Middle Kingdom, share different cultures – as well as the Khmer-Chen and the Chinese.So why has Chinese New Year become the ubiquitous New Year’s celebration in the Kingdom?
During a time of tremendous Chinese investment in Cambodia, the Middle Kingdom’s cultural influence is growing across Southeast Asia. In the past few years, Cambodians – even without any Chinese blood – have been celebrating Moon Festival and also Chinese New Year.
Pich Sok Nov, a mobile phone vendor, said that this year, he plans to celebrate Chinese New Year. He added that although his family is Cambodian, they still want to celebrate because they believe it will promote his business.
“I already went to a fortune teller who asked me to celebrate this New Year, even though I am not Chinese,” Pich Sok Nov said.
Khun Neardey, an electronic saleswoman, said that she’s been celebrating Chinese New Year at her own home for over 10 years.
“I am Khmer, but my relatives have Chinese blood,” she said.
“I celebrate both Chinese New Year and Khmer New Year because it’s a custom and it’s also what I believe in. The spirits of my ancestors will help me reach my wishes.”
Cultural confluence is inevitable. Cambodia’s become open to the West and adapted to the rest of the East, and we’ve accepted change as we grow into a developed country.
But we can’t deny that China has an especially strong influence on our culture. People are so easily absorbing new practises and rites without considering the consequences, or the reasons behind it.
According to historians, Sino-Cambodian relations were born from a drive for business and trade, dating back to the 13th century. Noted Chinese diplomat Zhou Da Guan published his well-documented trips to the Kingdom and back.
“China has a strong cultural base which has not been easily changed or influenced by other countries,” said Vong Sotheara, Deputy Head of the History Department at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.
“Therefore, they have strong traditions.”
Vong Sotheara added that many Cambodians who believe that they have Chinese ancestry are more likely to adhere to Chinese traditions and rites.
He also said that although many of these Cambodians believe they have Chinese blood, they are actually 100 percent Khmer.
“Practising Chinese traditions can negatively impact the Cambodian identity, and cause confusion as to who is Khmer and who is Chinese,” Vong Sotheara said.
“We have to hold our language, religion, culture and tradition dear so that we don’t lose it.”
Po Samnang, the director of the National Culture and Moral Centre, said that it is within our human rights to celebrate Chinese New Year or whichever holidays we choose to.
He pointed to the Cambodian Constitution, saying that there is no law that prohibits the freedom of religion.
“Nevertheless,” he said, “Cambodian people should understand and know their own culture before picking up a new one.”
14 comments:
Khmer had a culture that young men went to live with and served young women family before they can marry the girls and of course if the guys worked hard and had good conduct, not doing stupid thing during this trial period. What had happen to that tradition!? Chinese New Year is good for eating Samlor Missuor!(not from Missouri though!).
Sampeah Preah Kher is another interesting time. Are Khmer still celebrate that in November?!
And why Khmer celebrate Christmas?
Why can't khmer believers celebrate Christmas? Freedom of religion right..? Cambodia have many religions... Islam, Christian, Catholic, Buddah...etc...
Great. Pretty soon we will be Sino-Khmers. Bring in Confucianism,and we'll all be Chinese in the head wrapped in Khmer skin.
Who fucking cares. Chinese in Cambodia celebrate Khmer New Years too. Many Chinese that came to Cambodia many generations ago, now have become Khmer, holding on to their traditions by celebrating Chinese New Year is perfectly allright. My family celebrate both Chinese and Khmer new years. My wife's grand parents were Chinese(grand father) and Vietnamese(grand mother) immigrated to Srok Khmer in the early 1900's. Her grand father didn't speak a word of Khmer. He fell in love with a VietnameseKhmer girl. Several generations later, their children and grand children became Khmer. They all inherit 2 cultures. They no longer speak Chinese or Vietnamese and celebrate all Khmer holidays and a Chinese New Year. I don't know what is the big deal about Khmer celebrating Chinese New Year. Cambodia is a bicultural society of Chinese and Khmer. Stop trying to divid the Khmer people.
ចេកង៉ោសាស៊ីង៉ូវ ទន្ទេញយូរទៅពិរោះសមគួរ
ហ៊ាជែចឹកអ៊ីទ្រាអ៊ួកាំងឆាមីស៊ួកំសៀវហុងកុង។
លោកយាយលោកតា ក៏ហៅអាម៉ាអាកុង
សោស៊ឹម គគឹមប្អូនបង កត់ក្នុងបេះដូងខ្ញុំសិន។
Don't get me wrong,I love both side of my heritage: Khmer and Chinese.
ចុងភៅ,ពូថៅ,ប៉ូចិនតុង,ទឹកឈូ,កង្រី,សៀវ
ភៅ,ហោប៉ៅ,ឡាន,គុយទាវ,មីគាវ..ជាក់ពឺង, ជាក់មួយ,ជាក់ពីរណុយ...Oops!
As long as all cambodian united in one nation...whoever believed in their own religion don't matter...OK!
For me, Cambodia is not a bicultural country. It is an homocultural society and Khmer is the main nation of this country. Ethnic minorities group such as Chineses, Vietnameses and Chams are part of it. To avoid the national discrimination any form of believe and tradition should be allowed to practice among those who belong to each minority group. The problem for Chinese new year celebration in Cambodia is the ruppidly increase number for those who are not chinese by blood but pretend to be Chinese. Don't be too chinese or Vietnamese but be Khmer because Cambodia is your homeland.
A long article in the POST but it does not mentioning that there are millions of Vietnamese people here in Cambodia who don´t celebrate Chinese but Vietnamese New Year, same same but propaganda bullshit...
3:11 PM
A big different between Viet and chinese. Cham and Chinese think as 100% Khmer, but Viet still Viet and not as 100% Khmer.
6:16 PM
This person is so naive. Don't we remember who settled in Khmer Krom first? It's all those Chinese. Then they joined the Viet and annexed. All of them Sino cultured people are the same, give them some privileges they will switch allegiance.
I wish I could understand what 3:04 AM were talking about.Is that something related to Chinese New Year or pure politic ?
"All of them Sino cultured people are the same, give them some privileges they will switch allegiance."
This phrase is a very big insulting.
3:04 AM, if you are a politician,I advice you to switch to do something else. You are not deserve to lead Cambodia.
Why u mean all them Sino culltured people??? It's stupid comments like these that divide us. I'm part Chinese myself and I love our country. Cambodia should never be divided by ethnicity. Look at our neighbors they are assimilating their ethnic groups while we are here still arguing over the same shit that never stops like diarrhea. Cambodia needs someone to lead them regards of ethnicity, in a united front. Just look at the Laos and our khmer and mon Brothers in Thailand. We should be doing the same. And I don't know why people talking bad about Confucius , it's a code of ethics Not a religion similar to our own dhoun mhien daun tha proverbs if you done your research. In fact Chinese cultural practices have been incorporated into Khmer society eons ago ever since the khmer empire. If you look swept without your stupids bias you can see.
Edit: Confucius , it's a code of ethics Not a religion similar to our own dhoun mhien daun tha proverbs if you done your research. In fact Chinese cultural practices have been incorporated into Khmer society eons ago ever since the khmer empire. If you look deep down without your stupid bias you can see.
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