The Reversing River: The Traditions of Cambodia's Water Festival

Chapter One: A River of Victory: The History of the Water Festival and Its Naval Origins

Bon Om Touk (បុណ្យអុំទូក), the Cambodian Water Festival, is the most exuberant, spectacular, and joyous public celebration in the nation's calendar. Each year in late autumn, millions of people flock to the riverbanks, especially in Phnom Penh, to witness a thrilling spectacle of boat racing, illuminated floats, and fireworks. While the festival today is widely understood as a celebration of the river's bounty and the end of the rainy season, its historical roots run deep into the martial glory of the Angkorian Empire. The festival is a living, breathing commemoration of the power and prowess of the ancient Khmer navy, a tradition that has beautifully merged with the agricultural and spiritual rhythms of the land.

The Angkorian Navy: Masters of the Inland Waters

The Khmer Empire, a kingdom defined by the vast Mekong River and the enormous Tonle Sap Lake, was, by necessity, a great naval power. Control of the intricate network of waterways was essential for communication, for trade, and, most importantly, for warfare. The king's fleet of war canoes was a critical component of his military might, allowing him to transport troops swiftly across his vast domain and to engage his enemies on the water.

The most powerful and dramatic evidence of this naval power is carved into the very walls of the Bayon temple, the state temple of the great warrior-king, Jayavarman VII. The southern gallery of the temple features a magnificent and chaotic bas-relief depicting a huge naval battle on the Tonle Sap Lake between the Khmer navy and the invading forces of the Cham kingdom. The carving shows long, sleek war canoes packed with soldiers, their oars churning the water as they engage in fierce hand-to-hand combat. It is a stunning historical document that confirms the existence of a formidable and battle-tested Khmer navy.

A Festival of Military Readiness

The historical origins of the Water Festival are believed to lie in this naval tradition. The timing of the festival, at the end of the rainy season around October or November, is significant. This is the period when the rivers and the Great Lake are at their highest, making navigation easiest. It was the ideal time for the Khmer fleets, which may have been on campaign in distant territories during the preceding months, to return to the capital at Angkor.

The festival is thus thought to have begun as a grand annual review of the navy by the king. The boat races were not just a sport; they were a form of military drill, a way to keep the oarsmen and sailors in peak physical condition and to test the speed and maneuverability of the different war canoes. It was also a spectacular display of imperial power, a demonstration of the kingdom's naval strength for the benefit of the Khmer people and any foreign dignitaries present at the court. It was a clear message that the king was the master of the waters and could defend his realm.

The race of the serpent boat is the echo of the war canoe. Its speed is the memory of the king's power, and its victory is a blessing for the peace that power once secured.

The Blending of Traditions

Over the centuries, this martial commemoration of the navy gradually and seamlessly merged with the older, agricultural, and animist rhythms of the land. The end of the rainy season was also, naturally, a time of thanksgiving. The floodwaters, a gift of the Mekong, had nourished the rice fields, and the swelling of the Great Lake had produced an immense bounty of fish. The festival, therefore, also became a great celebration to give thanks to the river and to the powerful water spirits, or Naga, for providing the life-sustaining gifts of food and water.

The boat races, once a display of military prowess, also took on a new meaning as a ritual offering to please the Naga, ensuring their goodwill and the peaceful recession of the floodwaters for the coming dry season. The martial history was not lost; it was simply enriched with a deeper layer of spiritual and agricultural significance.

The history of Bon Om Touk is, therefore, a beautiful fusion of the pragmatic and the spiritual. It began as a demonstration of the military power that protected the kingdom—a festival of victory. It has since evolved into a joyous Thanksgiving for the natural bounty that sustains the kingdom—a festival of life. The spectacular boat races we see today are a living link to that past, a thrilling and festive echo of a time when the waters of Cambodia were filled with the war canoes of the great kings of Angkor, a powerful and enduring reminder of a river of victory.

Chapter Two: The River That Breathes: The Reversing Flow of the Tonle Sap

The Bon Om Touk festival is timed with perfect precision to celebrate one of the most remarkable hydrological phenomena on our planet: the seasonal reversal of the Tonle Sap River. This unique event, where a great river completely changes its direction of flow, is the engine that drives the ecological and agricultural heart of Cambodia. It transforms the Tonle Sap Lake from a modest body of water into a vast inland sea, creating one of the world's most productive fisheries and naturally fertilizing the surrounding plains. To understand this "breathing" river is to understand the source of Cambodia's immense natural bounty and the very reason for the timing of its most joyous national festival.

The Hydrological Miracle Explained

For most of the year, during Cambodia's long dry season from roughly November to May, the Tonle Sap Lake behaves like any other. It slowly drains its water into the Tonle Sap River, which flows southeast for about 120 kilometers until it joins the mighty Mekong River at a confluence in the capital, Phnom Penh.

However, when the monsoon season arrives in Southwest Asia, everything changes. The combination of torrential local rainfall and, more importantly, the massive volume of meltwater from the distant Himalayan snows, causes the Mekong River to swell into a colossal, powerful torrent. By the time it reaches Phnom Penh, the Mekong's water level is several meters higher than that of the Tonle Sap Lake.

This difference in height and pressure leads to the miracle. The Mekong is so powerful that it physically pushes water backwards up the Tonle Sap River, completely reversing its flow. Instead of draining the lake, the river now furiously feeds it. This incredible backflow continues for the duration of the monsoon, from roughly June to October.

The result is a spectacular transformation of the Tonle Sap Lake. It swells from its dry season area of around 2,700 square kilometers to a staggering 16,000 square kilometers at the peak of the flood. Its depth increases from just a couple of meters to over nine meters. This vast, temporary inland sea inundates the surrounding forests and fields, creating a unique and incredibly rich ecosystem.

The river does not just flow; it breathes. For half the year it exhales into the sea. For the other half, it inhales, taking a great breath that gives life to the entire kingdom.

The Ecological Gift: A Nursery for a Nation

This annual inundation is the key to Cambodia's immense natural wealth. The "flooded forest" that is created around the margins of the expanding lake becomes a giant, nutrient-rich nursery for fish. The decaying vegetation provides an enormous food source, and the tangled roots of the submerged trees offer perfect, protected spawning grounds for hundreds of different fish species. The fish population explodes in this vast, temporary habitat.

Then, as the monsoon ends and the Mekong's water level begins to fall, the process reverses once more. The Tonle Sap River changes direction again and begins to drain the now-massive lake. As the water recedes, this enormous population of now-mature fish is funneled into the shrinking river, creating one of the most concentrated and productive inland fisheries on Earth. This annual "harvest of the water" has been the primary source of protein for the Cambodian people for millennia, and it is entirely dependent on this unique reversing flow.

The Cultural Significance: Timing the Celebration

The Bon Om Touk festival is timed to celebrate this exact moment of transition. It is held on the full moon of the Buddhist month of Kadeuk, the point in the year when the waters of the Tonle Sap have reached their maximum height and are about to begin their journey back towards the Mekong. The festival is, therefore, a national thanksgiving for the completion of this life-giving cycle.

The celebration is an expression of gratitude to the river itself, and to the powerful Naga spirits believed to control it, for the two great gifts it has bestowed:

1. The water that has been stored in the Great Lake which will now irrigate the fields for dry-season crops.
2. The immense bounty of fish that are beginning their migration, ensuring a plentiful food supply for the coming year.

The boat races, the feasting, and the joyous atmosphere are a direct celebration of this peak of the nation's natural abundance, a jubilant acknowledgment of the river's power and generosity.

The reversing flow of the Tonle Sap is the great natural miracle upon which traditional Cambodian life is built. It is the rhythm that has shaped the culture, fueled the agricultural economy, and provided the sustenance for a great civilization. The Water Festival is more than just a holiday; it is the Khmer people's joyous and grateful response to the powerful, breathing river that has always been the true mother of their nation.

Chapter Three: The Serpent on the Water: The Spectacle of the Championship Boat Race

The absolute heart of the Bon Om Touk celebration is the Om Touk (អុំទូក) itself: the thrilling, spectacular, and deeply traditional championship boat race. For three days, the waters of the Tonle Sap River in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh transform into a great aquatic arena. Hundreds of impossibly long and narrow boats, powered by the rhythmic, unified strength of dozens of oarsmen, surge through the water in a vibrant display of speed, power, and community pride. This is not merely a sporting competition; it is a ritual, a living re-enactment of the naval traditions of the ancient Khmer Empire and a joyous offering to the spirit of the river. The boat race is the noisy, energetic, and exhilarating soul of the Water Festival.

The Touk Ngor: The Racing Serpent-Boat

The traditional racing boat, the Touk Ngor, is a masterpiece of Cambodian craftsmanship and a powerful symbol in itself. These are not modern racing shells; they are long, slender canoes, traditionally carved from a single, massive tree trunk. They can be over 30 meters in length, seating anywhere from 40 to over 100 paddlers.

Each boat is a work of art. They are brightly painted with intricate Khmer designs, or kbach. Most importantly, every boat has a pair of large, staring eyes painted on its prow. These eyes are believed to give the boat its own spirit, to help it see its way to victory, and to ward off any evil spirits or misfortune on the water. The prow itself is often carved into a graceful, curving shape that evokes the head of a divine Naga serpent. For this reason, they are often called "serpent boats," and when they race, they appear as great, colorful serpents slithering across the water's surface.

The Crew: An Emblem of Community Pride

The crew of a racing boat is not a collection of professional athletes, but a team representing a specific village, a local pagoda, or sometimes a government ministry. They are farmers, fishermen, and townspeople who have trained together for months in preparation for the great festival. Their participation is a matter of immense local pride. The entire village will often travel to Phnom Penh to cheer on their boat, and a victory brings enormous honor and prestige back to their home community.

The race itself is a breathtaking display of teamwork and power. The paddlers, often standing in a low crouch, move in perfect, powerful synchronicity. A coxswain at the front of the boat will often shout out a rhythmic chant to keep the tempo, his voice urging the crew on. The raw power of so many paddles hitting the water at once, driving the long boat forward in a surge of speed, is an unforgettable sight and sound.

The boat is the body of the Naga. The paddles are its scales. The chant of the coxswain is its roar. The pride of the village is its spirit.

A Re-enactment of Ancient Naval Power

As we have explored, the boat races are a direct and living link to the formidable navy of the Angkorian Empire. The skills required to win a modern boat race—strength, stamina, and perfect, unified teamwork—are the very same skills that were required to power the ancient Khmer war canoes in battle. The races are, in essence, a peaceful re-enactment of the naval reviews and military drills held by great kings like Jayavarman VII. The festival allows modern Cambodians to connect with and celebrate the martial prowess of their ancestors, transforming a historical military tradition into a joyous, contemporary sporting event.

A Ritual Offering to the River

Alongside its historical significance, the race is also a profound spiritual ritual. The powerful, energetic spectacle is seen as a fitting offering to the Naga, the great serpent spirits who are the masters of the water. The sight of the long serpent boats racing on their domain is believed to please and honor the Naga, ensuring their continued goodwill. It is also a collective, human act of thanksgiving to the river itself, a way of returning some of the energy and vitality to the "Mother of Waters" that has given so much life to the people.

The Bon Om Touk boat race is, therefore, more than just a race. It is a complex and beautiful Cambodian tradition that weaves together athletic competition, deep community pride, the commemoration of ancient military history, and a sacred offering to the spirit of the river. It is the powerful, thundering, and joyous heart of the nation's greatest public celebration.

Chapter Four: The Kingdom Converges: The Atmosphere of Bon Om Touk in Phnom Penh

While the spirit of the Water Festival is celebrated in towns and villages across Cambodia, its official and most spectacular manifestation takes place in the nation's capital, Phnom Penh. For three days, the city transforms. Its population swells as millions of people from every province in the kingdom pour into the capital, converging on the banks of the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers. The atmosphere is electric, a vibrant, chaotic, and joyous explosion of sound, color, and celebration. To be in Phnom Penh during Bon Om Touk is to witness the entire nation coming together for its greatest public party, a festival that blends ancient ritual with modern entertainment in a uniquely Cambodian way.

The Riverfront: The Heart of the Celebration

The absolute center of all activity is the city's riverfront promenade, known as Sisowath Quay. This long, graceful boulevard, which runs alongside the Tonle Sap River directly in front of the Royal Palace, becomes a massive, teeming pedestrian thoroughfare. From early in the morning until late into the night, it is packed with immense crowds of people who come to watch the boat races, to meet friends, to eat, and to simply soak in the festive air. The sounds of the city change; the usual hum of motorbike traffic is replaced by the roar of the crowds, the thumping bass of outdoor concerts, and the hypnotic, traditional music of the racing boats' coxswains chanting across the water.

A Festival of Day and Night

The celebration unfolds in a distinct rhythm over the three days.

The daytime is dominated by the thunderous energy of the boat races. The riverbanks are a sea of people, all craning their necks for a view of the water. Families spread out mats on the grass, sharing picnics and cheering wildly for the boat representing their home province. The atmosphere is one of friendly but intense competition, a vibrant and sun-drenched sporting spectacle.

As dusk falls, a different kind of magic takes over. The focus shifts from the athletic competition on the water to a series of beautiful and sacred rituals of light, which will be explored in a later chapter. The river is filled with the Bandaet Pratip, a flotilla of magnificent, illuminated floats, and the sky is lit up by a spectacular fireworks display each night. The riverfront becomes a great festival ground, with temporary stages hosting free concerts by Cambodia's biggest pop stars, and hundreds of food stalls serving every imaginable kind of Cambodian street food. The party continues late into the night.

During Bon Om Touk, the city does not sleep. The river becomes a stadium by day and a glittering temple by night.

A Time of Reunion and Commerce

Beyond the official events, the festival is a massive social and commercial occasion. It is one of the primary times of the year for family and friends who live in different parts of the country to arrange to meet in the capital. The festival is a great national reunion, a time to reconnect and celebrate together.

The area also transforms into a huge open-air market. Vendors from all over the country come to sell their wares. You can find everything from traditional crafts and clothes to children's toys and an incredible variety of food and drinks. For many, it is a major opportunity to do business and to participate in the festive economy.

The atmosphere in Phnom Penh during Bon Om Touk is an unforgettable experience. It is a moment when the entire kingdom seems to gather in one place to honor its most vital life source. It is a joyous, sometimes overwhelming, but always good-natured crush of humanity. The festival perfectly encapsulates the spirit of modern Cambodia: a nation that deeply reveres its ancient traditions of boat racing and river worship, while simultaneously embracing the loud, energetic, and celebratory spirit of a modern public holiday. For three days, the capital becomes the spectacular, beating heart of a nation at play.

Chapter Five: The Taste of the Full Moon: The Traditional Foods of the Water Festival

No Cambodian festival is complete without its own unique and symbolic foods, and the Water Festival, Bon Om Touk, is no exception. While the streets of Phnom Penh are filled with every imaginable kind of street food, there are three specific ingredients that lie at the very heart of the festival's traditions: Ambok (flattened rice), coconut, and banana. The preparation and ritual eating of these foods, particularly the Ambok, is an essential part of the celebration, a delicious act of thanksgiving that connects the festival to the end of the harvest season and the light of the full moon.

Ambok: The Flavor of the New Harvest

The most important and iconic food of the Water Festival is Ambok (អំបុក). This is a traditional and labor-intensive delicacy made from the first grains of the new rice harvest. The process of making it is a celebration in itself:

1. First, freshly harvested rice is roasted in the husk in a large pan until it is fragrant and lightly cooked.
2. Next, while still hot, the roasted rice is poured into a large wooden mortar.
3. Two people will then begin to pound the rice with heavy wooden pestles in a steady, rhythmic beat, their movements often resembling a folk dance. This pounding separates the toasted rice grain from its husk.
4. Finally, the mixture is sifted to remove the chaff, leaving behind the flattened, delicate, and aromatic rice flakes known as Ambok.

The creation of Ambok is a communal activity, and its fresh, nutty, toasted flavor is the very taste of the new harvest. It is the first gift of the land after the long rainy season.

The Ritual of Auk Ambok and Saluting the Moon

The eating of Ambok is tied to one of the Water Festival's most beautiful evening ceremonies: the Sampeas Preah Khae (សំពះព្រះខែ), or "Salutation to the Moon." On the night of the full moon during the festival, families will gather together, either at their local pagoda or in their own homes, and make a special offering.

The offering consists of a tray laden with Ambok, which is often mixed with shredded coconut and slices of banana. The family will light candles and incense and offer the food to the full moon, giving thanks for the bountiful harvest and praying for happiness and prosperity for the coming year. It is a beautiful and serene ritual that connects the earthly harvest with the celestial light.

Following this prayer comes a joyous and playful tradition known as Auk Ambok (អកអំបុក), which means "to feed the Ambok." One person will take a large handful of the Ambok, banana, and coconut mixture and pack it into another person's mouth until their cheeks are full. While their mouth is full, the feeder will gently tap them on the back and ask them a question. The person's muffled, often comical, attempt to answer is a source of great laughter and fun for the whole family. This playful act is an essential part of the celebration, a moment of shared, lighthearted joy.

The rice is from the earth. The coconut and banana are from the trees. The light is from the moon. The laughter is from the heart. This is the recipe for the festival.

A Feast of the River

Given that the festival is a celebration of the river's bounty, it is natural that fish and other freshwater products are also a central part of the celebratory meals. Families will often feast on whole grilled fish, caught fresh from the Tonle Sap or the Mekong. Other dishes might include river prawns or various soups and curries made with a fish base. The meals eaten during Bon Om Touk are a true celebration of the "twin gifts" of the river: the rice from the newly fertile land and the fish from the abundant waters.

The traditional foods of the Water Festival are a delicious reflection of the event's core meanings. The Ambok, made from the first rice of the season and offered in a prayer to the full moon, is a direct and symbolic act of thanksgiving for a successful harvest. The coconuts, bananas, and fresh fish celebrate the rich and diverse bounty of the Cambodian land and its great river. Together, these foods provide the authentic and joyous taste of the nation's greatest public celebration.

Chapter Six: The River's Reach: Local Celebrations of the Water Festival Across Cambodia

While the spectacular boat races in Phnom Penh, broadcast on national television and attended by millions, have become the defining image of Bon Om Touk, the spirit of the Water Festival is not confined to the capital. It is a truly national holiday, and in provinces across the kingdom, communities celebrate in their own unique and deeply meaningful ways. These local celebrations may be smaller in scale, but they are often more intimate and participatory, revealing the profound, personal connection that different communities have with their local rivers and waterways. From fiercely contested provincial boat races to quiet, village-pagoda ceremonies, the festival is a rich tapestry of local traditions woven together by a shared sense of gratitude to the water.

The Great Race in Miniature: Provincial Boat Races

Many provincial capitals that are situated on a major river or a large body of water host their own version of the Om Touk boat race. Cities like Kampong Cham and Kampong Chhnang on the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers, and even here in Siem Reap on the Siem Reap River, hold vibrant local races. These events are a source of immense local pride.

The atmosphere is different from the grand spectacle in Phnom Penh. The teams are not from distant provinces, but from neighboring villages and local pagodas. The rivalries are personal and steeped in local history. The entire town will line the riverbanks to cheer on their friends, sons, and neighbors. These provincial races are a powerful expression of community identity and solidarity, a chance for a village to prove its strength and teamwork and earn bragging rights for the year. For many Cambodians, their local boat race is the true heart of the festival.

The Pagoda as the Community's Heart

In the countless villages that are not located on a major river and cannot host a boat race, the local pagoda, or wat, becomes the undisputed center of the Bon Om Touk celebration. The festival's focus shifts from the athletic spectacle to its more spiritual and communal aspects.

Families will dress in their finest clothes and gather at their local wat, especially on the evening of the full moon. Here, they will perform the sacred ceremonies as a single, unified community. The monks will lead the rites for the Sampeas Preah Khae, the salutation to the moon, and families will share their homemade Ambok with each other on the pagoda grounds. The temple courtyard will often be lit up, and after the solemn rituals are complete, it becomes a social space, filled with the sounds of traditional music and the graceful, circular movements of the Romvong folk dance. In these communities, the festival is a more intimate affair, a quiet and beautiful expression of shared faith and thanksgiving.

In the capital, you watch the boats of the nation. In the province, you cheer for the boat of your neighbor. In the village, you dance with your cousin. The joy is the same, but the family is closer.

Local Variations: The Spirit of the Land

The specific character of the celebrations can also be shaped by the local landscape and livelihood.

• In the Floating Villages: For the communities who live in the floating villages on the great Tonle Sap Lake, the Water Festival has a particularly poignant meaning. Their entire existence is dependent on the lake's bounty of fish. Their celebrations are a direct and earnest thanksgiving for their livelihood and a prayer for a good and safe fishing season to come as the waters begin to recede. Their offerings to the water deities are especially heartfelt.
• In the Upland Provinces: In the provinces far from the great rivers, such as those in the northeastern highlands, the celebration of Bon Om Touk may be much more modest. The focus will be almost entirely on the religious and harvest aspects of the holiday—the saluting of the moon and the ritual eating of the newly harvested Ambok—rather than on the boat races and the reversal of the river, which have no direct, local relevance.

The Water Festival is, therefore, not a single, monolithic event. It is a rich and diverse collection of local traditions, all united by the common themes of water, gratitude, and community. While the grand races in Phnom Penh showcase the pride and scale of the nation, it is the smaller, provincial celebrations that reveal the festival's deep and personal connection to the daily lives and the specific landscapes of the Cambodian people. Whether it is a fiercely contested local boat race on a provincial river or a quiet prayer to the full moon in a village pagoda, the spirit is the same: a profound and joyous thanksgiving to the Mother of Waters for the life she gives to the kingdom.

Chapter Seven: The River of Light: The Spiritual and Royal Rites of Bon Om Touk

When night falls over Phnom Penh during the Water Festival, the boisterous energy of the daytime boat races gives way to a serene and mystical beauty. The river, no longer an arena of competition, transforms into a floating temple of light. The evenings of Bon Om Touk are dedicated to a series of sacred and royal ceremonies that form the spiritual core of the entire festival. These rituals—the procession of illuminated floats, the salutation to the full moon, and the ritual eating of the new harvest's rice—are acts of reverence that connect the earthly kingdom with the celestial realm, bringing the three-day celebration to a beautiful and meaningful climax.

Bandaet Pratip: The Procession of Illuminated Floats

On the evening of the full moon, the Tonle Sap River in front of the Royal Palace is graced by the elegant procession of the Bandaet Pratip (បណ្តែតប្រទីប). These are large, beautifully crafted floats or barges, each one magnificently illuminated with thousands of glittering lights. Each major float is sponsored by a different royal ministry or state institution, such as the Royal Palace, the Senate, or the Ministry of Defense. The floats are often designed to look like magnificent mythical creatures, such as the divine serpent Naga or the heavenly bird Garuda, or they depict famous national landmarks.

This luminous parade gliding down the dark river is a spectacular sight. Its purpose is twofold. It is a tribute to the King, who traditionally presides over this ceremony from a royal pavilion on the riverbank, showcasing the achievements and loyalty of his government's institutions. More deeply, it is a magnificent offering of light to the water deities and the Naga. It is believed that these floating offerings carry away any darkness, misfortune, or impurities and that they bring blessings and peace to the kingdom. It is a ritual that honors both the earthly king and the spiritual guardians of the river.

Sampeas Preah Khae: The Salutation to the Moon

Following the procession of floats, the entire nation turns its gaze upward for the Sampeas Preah Khae (សំពះព្រះខែ), or the "Salutation to the Moon." The festival is intentionally timed to coincide with the full moon of the Buddhist month of Kadeuk, a time of great spiritual potency. At a specific moment, families across the country will make offerings and offer prayers to the full moon.

This ritual is a prayer for a bountiful harvest and happiness for the coming year. It is also deeply connected to the Buddhist Jataka tales, specifically the story of the selfless rabbit. According to this tale, in a past life, the being who would become the Buddha was born as a virtuous rabbit. To provide food for a hungry ascetic (who was the god Indra in disguise), the rabbit heroically threw itself onto a fire to offer its own body as a meal. In recognition of this ultimate act of self-sacrifice, Indra drew the image of the rabbit on the face of the moon for all to see forever. The Sampeas Preah Khae is therefore also an act of reverence for this great Bodhisattva-rabbit, a reminder of the virtue of selfless giving.

The boat races honor the strength of men. The floating lights honor the power of the king. The salutation to the moon honors the virtue of the Buddha. The festival touches all worlds.

Auk Ambok: The Ritual of the Rice Flakes

Directly connected to the salutation to the moon is the final key ritual of the festival: the Auk Ambok (អកអំបុក), or the ritual eating of the flattened rice. As we have seen, Ambok is the special rice flake made from the first grains of the new harvest. After the prayers to the moon are complete, typically around midnight, it is time to eat the Ambok that was part of the offering.

This is a joyous and often playful family tradition. A mixture of the Ambok, with shredded coconut and banana, is offered to everyone. The act of eating the first grains of the new harvest under the light of the full moon is a powerful symbolic act, a communion that celebrates the bounty of the land and a hope for future prosperity. As previously described, the ritual often involves playfully stuffing a person's mouth with the mixture, a moment of laughter and shared community joy that brings the sacred evening to a happy close.

These beautiful evening ceremonies are the spiritual soul of the Water Festival. They complement the energetic, daytime spectacle of the boat races with a sense of reverence, magic, and peace. The Bandaet Pratip honors the earthly kingdom and its sovereign, while the Sampeas Preah Khae and Auk Ambok honor the celestial powers and the bounty of the harvest. Together, these rites of light and gratitude complete the great national celebration, offering a profound and beautiful thanksgiving to the Reversing River that gives Cambodia life.