Khmer New Year: How Phare Kindergarten Celebrated Songkran

Every year in mid-April, Cambodians celebrate the traditional holiday known as Khmer New Year – or Songkran – over the course of three festive days. The holiday is rooted in Buddhist traditions and is an important time for Cambodians to get back together with their loved ones and also celebrate publicly.

How Phare Kindergartners Celebrated Khmer New Year

On April 5, before the official Khmer New Year holiday, Phare Kindergarten hosted a special Songkran event for all of its students, parents, teachers, and other members of the community in Battambang.

Photo credit: CHIERN Piseth Samphallyka

“We created this event in 2022 to help our students understand more about the rituals observed at the Khmer New Year,” said Nekru PRANG Nhary, Education Manager of Phare Ponleu Selpak. “From the very beginning of the activities until the actual event decoration, we want our kids to learn more about the significance of Khmer culture and identity.”

Over the whole week, Phare Kindergarten celebrated Sangkran with a range of activities, including traditional Khmer New Year games like pulling ropes, bag leaping, monkeys stealing leaves, and more.

In addition, there were dancing parties, a wonderful spread of refreshments, and a little Khmer dance performance by the kindergarten students who were instructed by traditional dance teachers from Phare Performing Arts School.

Conclusion

The Songkran festivities at Phare Kindergarten were enjoyed by kindergartners and teachers alike. Even for small-scale community outreach events like this, Phare always wants our students to learn the importance of the Cambodian arts and their rich cultural heritage – while also having a bit of fun.

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