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| 28 November 2008 |
| Water Festival |
Seda Douglas: Water Festival is one of the most popular festival in Cambodian calendar. There would be between 2 million to 4 million. They have about 430 boats from all over the country. Each boat carries between 40 to 70 people. They just pack into this little canoe. There are quite a few aspects to Water Festival, the way it is celebrated every year. It stems from the history that the king would celebrate Water Festival every year to try and get the best strong, able men to join the marine force to look after the country. The contemporary Cambodian people would see Water Festival in some way, for myself as well, that it is the celebration of the water, because water means so much to many Cambodians. You know, I would say every Cambodian would consider water as the most important part in their life. The majority of Cambodians live in the countryside, so the rural population rely on water, you know, to do the agriculture, to do farming, and the majority of countryside people are farmers. And so water is very important if they are to survive. They basically almost worship the water. And Cambodia's Water Festival is designed to coincide with the full moon, a good omen that promises a bountiful harvest. |
