Khmer New Year 2002

17 April 2002

Today was the fourth and final day of the official Khmer New Year celebration. Tomorrow people should be going back to work. The common people probably will. Government officials might not make it back until next Monday.

Here are some scenes of what the ordinary people did during the holidays.

A local new year shrine in a shop
Many Khmers, especially shopkeepers, erect shrines to the new year angel who appears at this time of the year
Girl buying ice to take home
Few homes have refrigerators so this girl buys ice to cool some drinks for their home celebration
Young people in costumes for a march
Here a truckload of costumed marchers and dancers head out for a new year performance
Men playing petanque
Petanque is a French colonial-era relic, a form of bowling played with large steel balls
Spirit house set on a main street
As in Thailand spirit houses grace each property, to give a home to the spirits displaced by the humans living there now
Foreigners renting a motorcycle
A popular diversion with the foreigners is renting a motorcycle for cruising the back roads

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