It's Royal Ploughing Day!!
Just a little fun fact for you...today is Royal Ploughing Day here in Cambodia.
It is celebrated on the 4th day of the 6th lunar month's waning moon. I expect you all to mark this on your calendars so you will know in the future!!
Of course, our sweet students at the school (being students) informed Rich this morning at chapel that this is a Khmer holiday and so therefore they shouldn't have to study today. He told them that if they were with their families farming in the villages, that they could have the day off. But since they aren't farming currently... not going to happen. So they are now studying Romans with Rich. Ha!
Royal Ploughing Day signifies the beginning of a new rice season. It is the end of the hot dry season and the beginning of the rainy season. At this time of year, the farmers are just waiting for the rain to start so that they can begin another year of crops.
The Royal Ploughing Day ceremony is held near the palace. Typically, the king is with the royal oxen and ploughs the field 3 times. Then the queen comes behind sewing the seeds.
At the end of this, the oxen are let off of their harnesses and led to 7 golden trays of food. The Khmers (Cambodians) believe that by what the oxen choose to eat, predicts how the following year harvest will go as well as predicts such things as floods, little rain, etc. The 7 trays of food have the following: rice, corn, sesame seeds, beans, grass, water and wine.
For example, one year, the royal oxen choose to eat primarily rice and corn with just a little water. The prediction is that the farmers would have a moderate yield for rice but good yields for secondary crops such as corn and beans. Since the royal oxen only sipped at the water, it meant that there would be no serious flooding.
The Khmers who farm wait to see what the royal oxen will choose and the prediction to follow so see how they want to arrange their crops. They believe that the angels are watching over them and direct the royal oxen to what they chose, therefore the prediction is true.
So, welcome to Royal Ploughing Day!! I hope it is a great one for you!
Much love,
Ronda
PS. If you are truly interested, you can Google 'Royal Ploughing Day, Cambodia'. You will notice that Thailand and Burma (and probably others) also have Royal Ploughing Day.
It is celebrated on the 4th day of the 6th lunar month's waning moon. I expect you all to mark this on your calendars so you will know in the future!!
Of course, our sweet students at the school (being students) informed Rich this morning at chapel that this is a Khmer holiday and so therefore they shouldn't have to study today. He told them that if they were with their families farming in the villages, that they could have the day off. But since they aren't farming currently... not going to happen. So they are now studying Romans with Rich. Ha!
Royal Ploughing Day signifies the beginning of a new rice season. It is the end of the hot dry season and the beginning of the rainy season. At this time of year, the farmers are just waiting for the rain to start so that they can begin another year of crops.
The Royal Ploughing Day ceremony is held near the palace. Typically, the king is with the royal oxen and ploughs the field 3 times. Then the queen comes behind sewing the seeds.
At the end of this, the oxen are let off of their harnesses and led to 7 golden trays of food. The Khmers (Cambodians) believe that by what the oxen choose to eat, predicts how the following year harvest will go as well as predicts such things as floods, little rain, etc. The 7 trays of food have the following: rice, corn, sesame seeds, beans, grass, water and wine.
For example, one year, the royal oxen choose to eat primarily rice and corn with just a little water. The prediction is that the farmers would have a moderate yield for rice but good yields for secondary crops such as corn and beans. Since the royal oxen only sipped at the water, it meant that there would be no serious flooding.
The Khmers who farm wait to see what the royal oxen will choose and the prediction to follow so see how they want to arrange their crops. They believe that the angels are watching over them and direct the royal oxen to what they chose, therefore the prediction is true.
So, welcome to Royal Ploughing Day!! I hope it is a great one for you!
Much love,
Ronda
PS. If you are truly interested, you can Google 'Royal Ploughing Day, Cambodia'. You will notice that Thailand and Burma (and probably others) also have Royal Ploughing Day.
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