On the days of Tet, spring comes, everyone will feel the spring atmosphere more bustling than ever of the Khmer people in Bo De hamlet (Ke Thanh commune, Ke Sach district, Soc Trang province). They invite each other to clean and decorate their houses, the roads in the hamlet are all cleaned by the people. Mr. Kiem Hanh, a resident of Bo De hamlet shared: "Like the Vietnamese, the Khmer people believe that cleaning their houses to welcome Tet will dispel the dirt and risks of the old year, welcoming a new year of peace and luck.

Tet is also the occasion for my children who work far away to come home and gather together more fully, because my children have a longer holiday than other national festivals, so the house is very cozy. I am very happy to be with my children because this is the occasion when my family can be together for the longest time.

Mr. Kiem Hanh on a visit to Uncle Ho's Mausoleum.

Ms. Danh Thi Na Vi said: “The Khmer people consider Tet Nguyen Dan as important as Sen Dolta or Chol Chnam Thmay. The spring atmosphere in the hamlet is as bustling and exciting as in places with a large Vietnamese population. During Tet, we also burn incense to worship our ancestors and grandparents, welcome the New Year and visit our relatives and neighbors to wish each other a happy new year and pray for all the best and luck in the new year.”

Khmer people still preserve their traditional culture of going to pagodas to worship Buddha and listen to sutras. Mr. Lam Thanh Son said: “This is the time when people place their faith and hope for a luckier and more prosperous new year. There are families who do not go to pagodas, but they also stew meat, wrap banh tet or make many kinds of traditional cakes to give to Vietnamese families in the neighborhood. Accordingly, the relationship between Vietnamese and Khmer people here is increasingly close and intimate.”

“During Tet, I often receive many invitations from Vietnamese neighbors to come to my house to attend parties, or to chat and share joys and sorrows after months of hard work. Many Khmer families also have fun, sing comfortably and happily,” said Lam Thanh Son.

During Tet, many Vietnamese and Khmer families go to pagodas to pray for a peaceful and happy new year.

Joining in the joy of welcoming the New Year, during Tet, some Khmer pagodas also organize cultural and artistic activities, folk games... to make the Tet atmosphere more bustling and exciting. All take place in a peaceful setting, showing the increasingly prosperous new life of the Khmer people.

In recent times, thanks to the attention of the Party, the State and local authorities, the lives of Khmer people in Soc Trang province have changed a lot. The economy has developed, houses have been spacious, infrastructure has been gradually invested in and built synchronously, the lives of the people have become more and more prosperous, making the atmosphere of welcoming the New Year more joyful and exciting.

MINH KHANG