One thing that we do not lack in Southeast Asia is celebrations! 

At the beginning of the year, we joined Sandy, Miss Nga, and the rest of the Asia Desk family in celebrating the Lunar New Year. 

The Lunar (or Tet) New Year is the Vietnamese New Year, which is celebrated in January and February. This year, we welcomed the Year of the Snake! 

As we move into April, we are excited to kick off similar celebrations in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia! 

There’s a good chance you’ve heard of Songkran. Songkran is Thialand’s New Year celebration. It’s celebrated by flooding the streets for a good old-fashioned water fight! The Thai people also pay respect to their religions and cultures by visiting temples and spending time with loved ones. 

While the Lunar New Year is based on the lunisolar calendar, the Songkran New Year is based on the solar calendar, specifically when the sun moves into the Aries constellation. The celebrations start on April 13 and can last as long as one month! 

 

Celebrating the New Year Cambodian Style 

With the water fights in Thailand taking over much of the mainstream coverage of the New Year celebrations, we decided to check in with Ethan, our very own Travel Specialist, who spent most of his life in Cambodia. 

Here’s what Ethan had to say about celebrating the new year both in Cambodia and now in the United States:

In Cambodia, most of life takes place outdoors. The country is filled with natural beauty, and the weather is warm all year round. Staying cooped up inside is a concept most Cambodians aren’t familiar with! 

As Khmer, how Cambodians refer to the new year, celebrations roll around; they are naturally spent outside in the open air. 

Since splitting my time between Cambodia and North Carolina, my family and I have adopted Khmer traditions to a state-side celebration. 

Khmer in the States

Every April, my family and I host a Khmer celebration in our backyard in North Carolina. We host the party outside to acknowledge Cambodia's open-air traditions. Thankfully, the Blue Ridge Mountains are a pleasant place to be in the spring! 

Over the years, we have connected with many local friends and neighbors who have spent time and even lived in Cambodia and Thailand. We have also made connections with students from Furman University, the local college, who are from Cambodia, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian regions. 

We usually have a packed house, and we, of course, open the invitation to our family and friends who are not familiar with the holiday. Spreading the culture and traditions of Cambodia is important to me on a personal level. 

A classic Cambodian playlist is cranked up to set the stage for a good time. 

We like to mix in a little 1960s Cambodian psychedelic rock, with a touch of contemporary Cambodian New Year songs. Music is a strong cultural representation across Southeast Asia, so it’s important to us to honor this element of the celebration. It also helps loosen up the guest list! 

Now, onto the best part…the food! 

We plan a menu of local Khmer dishes. This includes mango salad and, of course, plenty of the addicting (and life-changing) Koh Kong dipping sauce, along with pickled cucumbers and Beef Skewers with fresh turmeric and galangal. 

Most years, I have a charcoal grill going with plenty of Bay Sach Chruuk, a common Cambodian street food of thin, marinated strips of pork shoulder slow barbequed over charcoal and served over rice. The preparation process can be pretty labor-intensive for a large group, but the payoff is worth it. 

In a way, Bay Sach Chruuk is Cambodia's unsung national dish, along with the Kuy Teav (the Cambodian version of Pho). Interestingly, it is widely consumed at breakfast. The best version comes with a side salad of pickled veggies, dipping sauce, a fried egg or small omelette, and a side of fragrant bone broth. 

The essential ingredient is a marinade base made from a unique mixture of fresh lime, fish sauce, palm sugar, coconut milk, and plenty of fresh garlic, ginger, and MSG (controversial, I know). There's no real recipe. If you Google it, you’ll likely be disappointed. My tactic when preparing the dish is to go by taste.  

Fun fact: when I’m in Cambodia, I’m always on a never-ending search for the best Bay Sach Chruuk! A rule-of-thumb, if you ever find yourself on a similar hunt, look for the smallest, most ramshackle vendor on the roadside, but with a huge crowd of locals. If there's an actual roof over your head, be skeptical—the best is nearly always open air, or at the most a tarp or sheet of tin. 

 

Joining In on the Celebration! 

Whether you’re planning to celebrate Songkran with us in one (or all) of our favorite Southeast Asian countries or to join in on the celebrations from home, we wish you all a very happy New Year! 

If you find yourself in North Carolina this spring and are interested in experiencing a traditional Cambodian holiday celebration (with lots of dancing and incredible food), give Ethan a call! 

https://asiadesk.net/en/enquire/