Chinese New Year for 2019 falls on February 5th, Tuesday, and it is coming soon! The said festival will go on until February 19th, which is 15 days in total.
For 2019, Chinese New Year celebrates the Year of the Pig according to Chinese zodiac. Read below for some astrological forecast for you on this Year of the Pig.
Chinese New Year in Cambodia
This festival is not actually one of the official or recognized holidays in Cambodia. However, there are still many Cambodians who celebrate it, and as such, it has become one of the most celebrated holidays during the year. In fact, a short walk around Phnom Penh will show anyone that the spirit of celebration is everywhere.
During this time, Cambodians who are of Chinese descent and some ethnic Vietnamese are the ones who mainly celebrate this holiday. However, there are also several locals and foreigners who are living in Cambodia who are willing to join in some of the celebration despite not really being Chinese.
Since many Cambodians who are partly Chinese have shops or work in commerce, they often have shops or stands in the market that are decorated in the Chinese New Year fare. During this time, many shops would also be closed.
In particular, the days leading to the New Year, you can easily see some people busy cleaning and putting on decorations for their house. “Good Wish” banners and festive displays and offerings can be seen as early as now.
The Angkea Sel
One of the beliefs that Cambodians have during this time is to buy the yellow-flowering bushes that are called Angkea Sel. According to tradition, it is their belief that if the trees blossom within the first three days of the celebration, the year will be considered a very fortunate one.
Chinese New Year in the workplace
Since the Chinese New Year is a family event, a lot of the employees will take leave and go home to their birth place in the provinces. That way, they can celebreate with their families and friends. Some offices also will simply shut off operations so that their employees can go out to celebrate.