At Roots, New Year Is Buddhist: Monk

Venerable Hok Sovann

By Nuch Sarita, VOA Khmer
Washington
14 April 2009

Revelers should recall that the New Year is a Buddhist holiday, a reminder for Cambodians to live following a Buddhist path, a senior monk said Monday.

The New Year, celebrated in the middle of April each year, follows the rice harvest, a break for people in the countryside, whom comprise 85 percent of the population, the venerable Hok Sovann said, as a guest on “Hello VOA.”

The New Year heralds the start of a Buddhist year, in this case 2553, and is celebrated in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Burma, and in some parts of India.

The New Year is also a reminder that Buddhism should be separated from politics, Hok Sovann said.

“The killing of one another has nothing to do with Buddhism, it is merely politics. Buddhist followers sometimes fall victim to politicians,” he said.