Khmer New Year officially starts Tuesday and ends Thursday (April 14-16) this week. Although the government has canceled the holidays in an effort to prevent people from returning to their families in the provinces and contain the spread of the virus, this has not stopped some Cambodians from going to their local pagodas to take part in a nationwide blessing ceremony.
Cambodians Welcome Khmer New Year Despite Coronavirus Pandemic
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Two men light incense at Niroth Rangsey pagoda during the Khmer New Year, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 14, 2020. (Kann Vicheika/VOA Khmer)
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An elderly woman kneels before the Buddha statues on the first day of the Khmer New Year celebration at a pagoda in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 14, 2020. (Hean Socheata/VOA Khmer)
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Cambodians wearing masks welcome the Khmer New Year at a pagoda in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 14, 2020. (Hean Socheata/VOA Khmer)
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A man sprays disinfecting alcohol sanitizer on a mat in Niroth Rangsey pagoda, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, April 14, 2020. (Kann Vicheika/VOA Khmer)
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A woman burn incenses at Niroth Rangsey pagoda during the Khmer New Year, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 14, 2020. (Kann Vicheika/VOA Khmer)
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A Cambodian woman provides food offerings at Thann pagoda, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, April 14, 2020. (Kann Vicheika/VOA Khmer)
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Two women prepare food for the monks at Niroth Rangsey pagoda in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, April 14, 2020. (Kann Vicheika/VOA Khmer)
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A woman cleans her hands with a disinfecting spray at Thann pagoda, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, April 14, 2020. (Kann Vicheika/VOA Khmer)
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A young girl stands near a table of offerings in celebration of the Khmer New Year in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 13, 2020. (Khan Sokummono/VOA Khmer)
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Cambodian authorities perform a temperature check on an elderly woman before entering the pagoda to celebrate Khmer New Year, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 14, 2020. (Hean Socheata/VOA Khmer)