Khmer New Year
Procession in Front of Temple
The procession around the temple comes to a halt in front of the main entrance.
Khmer New Year Pavilion
Man speaking in Khmer at the main pavilion of Khmer New Year while another man uncoils rope to be used for a tug-of-war competition.
On special occasions like the five day Khmer New Year celebration in April (in Cambodia it marks the end of the rice-harvesting season allowing farmers to enjoy the holiday without worrying about the harvest), thousands of Theravada Buddhists from all across the Midwest descend upon the Watt with their families to witness the procession around the temple, hear sermons, make offerings, light incense, and receive bracelets blessed by monks for good luck in the New Year. In addition, visitors celebrate with plenty of eating and dancing.
Music plays from the pavilion where people mill around with their food and occasionally dance. I hear the familiar tune of “You May Be Right” by the Billy Joel except the lyrics are in Khmer. I may be wrong about this.
A procession around the temple’s four sides represents the four faces of Buddha and the four virtues. It is vital for people to remember the four virtues each year and New Year’s is a way of getting people together to do so. The four 4 virtues are: loving-kindness or benevolence, compassion, empathetic joy, equanimity (pure mental state cultivated on the Buddhist path to nirvana).
In the upper sanctuary, a monk in orange robes giving bracelets that were blessed by the monk providing good luck for the New Year. People line up on their knees awaiting a bracelet, then prostrate in front of the monk as way of giving thanks and respect. Beside the monk handing out bracelets, a man dressed in white (according to Jim might be a priest but not necessarily), reads Sanskrit to tell fortunes for the New Year and had a large bowl of money in front of him for offerings.
There is much commotion in the upper sanctuary; many people are in line waiting for bathroom, a young girl talks loudly on phone to her mom, a Cambodian guide explains the scene to a mini tour group of Americans.
On Sunday April 17th, right before the closing ceremonies of Khmer New Year, a woman was walking around the 24 Buddhas (disciples of the Buddha) out front placing coins in each golden donation case and bowing and reciting a short prayer after each one (offering for good luck).
At lunchtime, in the lower sanctuary during the final community meal, a man in a suit spoke in English to congregants about the importance of keeping the Watt open for future generations, saying “if the government has any intention of closing [the Watt] down” they need the support of everyone because “we don’t want that to happen”. It was unclear whether he was referencing the Khmer rouge persecuting the Buddhist religion or an instance of the U.S. government shutting down a Buddhist temple. After that speech, the archbishop of the temple, the Venerable Ithimuni Sang Moeng, talked in Khmer about the importance of donating to the temple, and gave thanks for the New Year.
In the upper sanctuary, a monk in orange robes giving bracelets that were being put on (and blessed) by the monk and are good luck bracelets for the new year, people line up on their knees awaiting bracelet, prostrated in front of monk as way of giving thanks and respect. Beside him, a man dressed in white (according to Jim might be a priest but not necessarily), giving fortunes to people who make wishes, man reads Sanskrit to tell fortunes, had a large bowl of money in front of him.
There is much commotion in the upper sanctuary; many people are in line waiting for bathroom, a young girl talks loudly on phone to her mom, a Cambodian guide explains the scene to a mini tour group of Americans.
