hello, new year BE 2570!
To be honest, I was not feelin’ the Gregorian new year. As the days inched closer to April, I started to feel like myself again. The sunshine coming back helped (although, I’m not too thrilled with how hot it’s been and the crazy weather – today it’s raining!). I feel more in tune with new year in April as I get older. It also feels more momentous than January 1st. It’s 3 days of celebrations, each with its own purpose and meanings. Getting to be in community with others, eating delicious Khmer food, dancing to Khmer music, watching classical/folk dance performances, washing Buddha statues, getting blessed by monks, reuniting with friends and extended family – what more can you ask for?
My earliest memories of Khmer New Year was the inside of a school gym in San Francisco. At the time, there wasn’t a temple in the city and if the current and only Khmer temple in the city was open then, it was too small to house everyone (it can today though since so many Khmer families moved out of SF after the earthquake and in the 2000s). I remember walking into the building and seeing the gym floor covered with kanteils and families dressed in their best Khmer clothes. At the front were a line of sitting monks and behind them was the stage where dance performances took place. The bleachers off to the side were where all the kids went to sit and hang out. I remember sitting up there one time with my sisters, observing the crowds of families below.
It wasn’t until later that my family started making the drive to celebrate new year in Stockton which is where we still go to celebrate today. It didn’t look like how it looks now, with all the statues. I remember the older folks gambling, especially kla klok, before it was officially banned. There was one scary incident that occurred one year. A shot rang out and people went scrambling. My niece and I, unaware of what just happened, were hanging out behind a vendor’s tent. Thankfully, my dad and maybe also my brother, saw the rush of people and quickly called us over. Seconds after we ran over, streams of bodies came running out of the tent and in every which way. It was crazy! We were so close to being trampled over!
Anyhow! Now that we’ve officially entered the new year, I feel mentally and spiritually renewed. It’s time to kick my butt into gear and make this year worth it! I also feel like it’s a year of transition for a lot of people, especially my family. My hope is that everything will work out for all of us and that we’re met with prosperity, good health, and a great year!
