Leak Kan Saeng popular game for Khmer citizens on New Year Day

Khmer New Year Day is coming soon on the middle of April in this year so most Cambodia citizens prepare themselves to welcome new angel in new year. Leak Kan Saeng (hide scarf game) is a very popular and famous traditional game for Khmer citizens all around the country. So this is a reason that I take this game to tell you.

Of course, Leak Kan Saeng is a perfect and popular game in Cambodia. People always play it on special Khmer New Year day and after working hard on holiday. This game has become a very important and special game in Cambodia since old generation until nowadays. Do you wonder why Cambodia citizens love it and keep it as a traditional game ? The reason is because it really offer so much fun for players.

How to play Leak Kan Saeng game :

First of all, We must find 6 to 7 players or up (Be remember more players more fun too). Players must sit down in a circle line put both of your hands on your knees in a pretty big playground or any places that are possible.

Secondly, players must find one small scarf and roll it tightly and keep a bit hem in other to easy to hold it while you are playing. This game is assuming that have one player (I call 1st player) stand up and walking quickly surrounded the circle hold the rolling scarf and then put it behind the back of a player (I call 2nd player) who is sitting in a circle line that you like ** remember that do it very quickly and don’t let 2nd player know that you put scarf behind him/her. This game isn’t let any players look at their back if possible they might close their eyes for fair. 1st player who hold the scarf run surrounded the circle where another players sitting 2-3 times look at the player who sit without looking or interest at the scarf holder or 1st player this is the golden chance for 1st player to put the scarf behind him/her back and then run as fast as you can to sit in a place in the circle that you put the scarf (2nd player sit place) because if 2nd player know that 1st player put the scarf behind him/her back 2nd player will run follow 1st player and hit 1st player as much as he/she can do (when 2nd player run after 1st player, 2nd player sit place will empty so 1st player must run to sit at there). If 1st player did it he/she is win and the scarf holder or 2nd player who run after 1st player will walk and find new player as a 3rd player and do like the way of 1st player just do. If any player don’t know or notice about the scarf behind their back is a loser and will hit by scarf from other player who take the scarf fastest. And then keep on their playing until the night has come. Sometimes, some players never come to play because they always don’t know or notice about the scarf at their back and always hit by other players.

Sound like fun right ? If you want to play please do it on Khmer New Year Day or on your holiday. For foreigners you should come Cambodia if you want to play or know much more about this game. Cambodia always welcome you with very bright smile every time, every place. This game can make you run more faster and have high careful feeling and more stronger too.

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Rumduol flower represents the identity of the Khmer nation

   Cambodia take Rumduol flower to be nation identity by obey the royal decree on March, 21, 2005. The reasons that Cambodia decides choose Rumduol flower to be nation identity because Rumduol flower is a great flower which has very attractive sweet smell for human noses and also provides many advantages to Khmer social too.

   Old generation Khmer citizens used Rumduol flower as their popular and tradition medicine by produced Rumduol flower to become lipsticks for ladies because of it sweet smell different from other flowers. In the same way, Rumduol flowers have effective in treating many diseases such as Rumduol barks can be use for fever, it flowers are use for dizziness, and it also is a medicine to boosting heart and blood power. Rumduol pollens can use for boost blood and power medical and reduce dizziness.

   On the other hand, Rumduol trees can use for secondary construction and firewoods. Moreover, at the season of Rumduol fruits ripening the citizens who are live nearby always take it to sell at the markets in other to solve their living standard.

   “ Rumduol ” is for Cambodian name and “ Mitrellamesnyi ” is for science name. Rumduol birth place is in Southeast Asia. It’s a kind of plant which height from 8 to 12 m from the ground. It has brown-yellow tree and obtuse leaves and shape from 2 to 4x6 to 10 cm. It has yellow-white flowers and very sweet smell. Rumduol flowers have gorgeous smell at the evening and at night. Rumduol have cluster fruits and when it ripe have brown-red we also can eat it. Biology rank of Rumduol is on Magnoliales order, Annonaceae species, Mitrella group, and kind of M.mesnyi. Rumduol are grow naturally almost in everywhere of Cambodia start from December to March. Rumduol always plants by Khmer people to ornate their houses or gardens.

   Khmer old generation people always compare Rumduol flower with ladies because it is attractive, beautiful, and has sweet smell than perfume smell so far. Many Khmer dramas and songs are also sing about it too.

   Nowadays, Rumduol flowers can find in many gardens in Cambodia land. Rumduol also represents for Cambodia agriculture too. So all Cambodia citizens especially Khmer teenagers must remember and make own selves and country fantastic, pretty, and have sweet smell like Rumduol flower of Cambodia all together.

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Features of the marriage of the Khmer people

   After engaged, wedding ceremony must celebrate according to Khmer’s tradition by agreement from the laws. Wedding ceremony is a ceremony which celebrate to marry two people (boy and girl) to each other. In Cambodia, new couple always get many good advices from wise men, parents, neighbors, and old people from both of their family members. Those advices are focus on every day standard of living for increasing new couple living happiness.

   *Why we are married?
 So now let’s see the reasons with me. All of us are married for :
- creating a family by agreeing from laws, tradition, and society
- give birth and raise children for continue own lineage
- to fulfill the demand of biology like a life mate
- make our lover happy, feel safe, love, and feeling
- has a own independent life without depend on parents

   But we are married can be in different reasons and for the most necessary point that we all must remember is “ legal living with together of a boy and a girl as a couple ”..

   Married is so important because it’s a sign to start a new family’s life with lover. All obligations that a couple must do such as :
- keep good relationship of whole family to be happiness
- prepare and apply family’s plan carefully
- have experiences in other to easy to find job
- take care house to be clean and hygiene
- keep good relationship and be understanding with all siblings-in-laws
- take care family’s health and welfare
- respect, Responsible, love, and take care of family all the times.

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What Khmer citizens do on three days of Khmer New Year's Day?

Cambodian people celebrate Khmer New Year’s for 3 days and usually on the middle of April every years. The ways of celebrating are follow own custom since old generation up to nowadays. So let’s take a look at any activities that they do while that special 3 days.

    At the 1st day : In the morning, simply Khmer people bring their foods to offered to the monks at pagodas. At the evening, most people bring sand in other to build any sand mountains around the church or Daempothi (is a kind of trees that mostly grow and plant in pagodas) in the pagodas. And then they offered many drinks to the monks and start to prayer and expressed sermon.

   At the 2nd day : Children give clothes, foods, and any money to their parents and grandparents, etc. Sometimes, charity people give any things to poor people or servers. At the evening, they go to pagodas and build sand mountains again include making praying and invite monks making prayer at stupas in other to dedication good things for their relatives and ancients who dead.

At the 3rd day : In the morning, people invite the monks to dedicate the sand mountains. At the evening, the monks take a bath for statues of the Buddha (this activity is according to some popular of the people).

   After take a bath for Buddha’s statues, some areas people invite the monks to take a bath too. They also celebrate watering ceremony. They change their clothes by wearing scarf or sarong sitting and waiting the monks come to watering them. At many houses, children also watering to their beloved parents and their relatives to show their love and respection.

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The Palm tree

   The Palm tree is a kind of popular tree and it presence has been representing for kingdom of Cambodia. Palm tree provide so many advantages for Cambodian population since the first birth of Khmer Kingdom generation and it is also a national representation to notice for Cambodia landscape from old generation until nowadays as a slogan said “ Palm trees are shelters for Khmer ”.

   Among of many kind of plants Palm trees has become the most popular and very very important plant also is the only one great plant to make a representation of whole Cambodia. The reason that Khmer citizens choose this Palm trees for our representation because of Palm trees are so necessary and provide a lot of advantages that we can’t count all for you.

   On the other hand, Palm trees also known as the most strongest and longest life than other plants. “ Tnort ” is for Cambodia name, “ Borassusflabellifer ” is for science name and “ Palm tree ” is for English name. Palm tree is a kind of tall, single, big base, and grow straight up from the ground (height 10 to 25 m). It has yellow mix green smooth and thick leafs when it is young and yellow mix brown when it is old and has thorns on the both side of leafs like the saw. It has Female and male Palm trees. Female and male Palm trees note by it flowers.

   In Khmer society Palm trees provide so many advantages such as male Palm trees are traditional medicine for treatment malaria, numbness, ect . It also can be furnitures , humans and animals shelters, foods, and be very value handicraft products such as roofs, hats, mattresses, ect.

   For Palm water and fruits are so fantastic, popular, and the best favorite foods and drinks for Cambodian citizens. Producing Sugar Palm by cooking Palm water to become sugar is a perfect Cambodian tradition since old generation until now and will continue to the future forever never end.

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