Bon Om Touk
| Bon Om Touk | |
|---|---|
| Khmer name | បុណ្យអុំទូក |
| Also known as | Cambodian Water and Moon Festival; Cambodian Water Festival; Royal Boat Racing Festival |
| Practice type | Festival |
| Usual occasion | Late October or November |
| Subjects | Celebrations & Life Passages |
Bon Om Touk is a festival practised in Cambodia and Khmer communities. (Wikipedia)
Practice
Bon Om Touk brings together longboat races, illuminated floats, fireworks, concerts, prayers, and moon worship. Crews of roughly 40–80 paddlers race long, decorated boats in rhythmic unison, often accompanied by drums; the boats may have naga-shaped prows, painted eyes, and dancers on the bow. Related observances include Bondet Bratib, in which illuminated boats or lanterns are displayed or floated, and Og Ambok, when flattened rice is eaten with bananas and coconut juice during a moon-worship ceremony. (Wikipedia; Cambodia Kingdom)
History
Boat racing is described as having been celebrated in Cambodia since at least the reign of Jayavarman VII, whose Khmer navy is traditionally associated with a victory over Champa on the Tonlé Sap. The supplied accounts also describe historical records connected with King Ang Chan I in the sixteenth century and the festival’s expansion in Phnom Penh during the 1960s. The celebration was suspended during the Cambodian Civil War and has been repeatedly interrupted by disasters, political circumstances, low water, and the COVID-19 pandemic. (Wikipedia; Cambodia Kingdom)
Variations
The festival is centered on Phnom Penh, where races take place along the Tonlé Sap and Mekong riverfront, but concurrent celebrations take place throughout Cambodia. Boat forms, crews, lantern displays, and related observances vary, with boats representing provinces, military units, government ministries, and other institutions. (Wikipedia; Cambodia Kingdom)
Communities and practitioners
Cambodians from across the country participate in or attend the festival, while provincial teams, military units, government ministries, and local communities provide racing crews and decorated boats. (Wikipedia; Cambodia Kingdom)