Cambodian Cultureវប្បធម៌ខ្មែរ

Discover Cambodia’s festivals, history, religion, arts, food and etiquette, and experience the charm of Khmer culture.

Detail of a Khmer pidan silk with temple, elephant and figure motifs

Six themes

Festivalsបុណ្យKhmer New Year, Pchum Ben and the Water Festival each bring three days off. Pchum Ben lasts 15 days, as families honour up to seven generations of ancestors at the pagoda; the Water Festival, held around the full moon, marks the reversal of the Tonlé Sap River. Cambodia has 21 public holidays in 2026 (Labour Day and Visak Bochea share 1 May) and 22 in 2027.Read more Boat racing on the Tonlé Sap, Phnom Penh Historyប្រវត្តិសាស្ត្រKing Suryavarman II commissioned Angkor Wat in the early 12th century; Guinness World Records lists it as the largest religious structure in the world. Zhou Daguan of the Yuan court reached Angkor in 1296 and wrote A Record of Cambodia, regarded as the only surviving first-hand account of daily life in the Khmer Empire. Cambodia became independent from France in 1953.Read more Churning of the Sea of Milk, east gallery, Angkor Wat ReligionសាសនាA 2024 survey by the National Institute of Statistics found about 96.5% of Cambodians are Buddhist, mostly Theravada, and Article 43 of the Constitution makes Buddhism the state religion; there were 5,146 pagodas in 2024. Many Buddhists also honour Neak Ta, guardian spirits of a place; Muslims, mostly Cham, make up about 2.6%.Read more A monk on his alms round in Phnom Penh Artsសិល្បៈSeven Cambodian elements are on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage lists, among them the Royal Ballet, Sbek Thom shadow theatre, Kun Lbokator martial arts and the krama scarf. UNESCO notes that the Khmer Rouge (1975–1979) all but eliminated the masters of dance and music; troupes re-formed after 1979 and revived the old repertoire. Cambodia also has five World Heritage Sites, including Angkor.Read more Khmer classical dance Foodម្ហូបKhmer food is built on rice and fish, and Cambodia has some 2,000 native rice varieties. The pungent fermented fish paste prahok, nicknamed “Cambodian cheese”, flavours almost every Khmer dish; kroeung spice paste is pounded from lemongrass, galangal, turmeric and more. Kampot pepper gained EU geographical indication status in 2016.Read more Fish amok served in a banana-leaf cup
Etiquetteសុជីវធម៌The sampeah, palms pressed together, is still the traditional greeting; the higher the hands and the lower the bow, the greater the respect, and a sampeah is returned with one. The head is seen as the most sacred part of the body, so touching someone’s head or pointing with your feet is considered rude; business cards are given and received with both hands.Detail of a Khmer sampot hol silk hip wrapper (weft ikat)

Festival calendar

Most Cambodian festivals follow the Khmer lunar calendar, so their dates move every year. Dates below follow the government’s public holiday sub-decrees.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
  • 14–16 April
    Khmer New Yearចូលឆ្នាំថ្មី

    Three public holidays under Sub-decree 167. The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts calls 2026 the Year of the Horse, Buddhist Era 2570.

  • 1 May
    Visak Bocheaវិសាខបូជា

    Marks the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and passing into nirvana; in 2026 it falls on the same day as International Labour Day.

  • 5 May
    Royal Ploughing Ceremonyព្រះរាជពិធីច្រត់ព្រះនង្គ័ល

    Held on the fourth day of the waning moon in the sixth Khmer lunar month; one public holiday.

  • 10–12 October
    Pchum Benភ្ជុំបិណ្ឌ

    A 15-day observance at the end of the Buddhist rains retreat; the three public holidays cover the main 15th day and the days either side, and families bring food to the pagoda before dawn.

  • 9 November
    Independence Dayទិវាឯករាជ្យជាតិ

    Marks independence from France on 9 November 1953.

  • 23–25 November
    Water Festival (Bon Om Touk)បុណ្យអុំទូក

    Held around the full moon. In 2026 the main celebration in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh is suspended; the three public holidays remain and provinces may hold their own events.

A thread through history

Years from Angkor to independence that still leave visible traces today.

  1. 1113–c. 1150

    Reign of King Suryavarman II, who commissioned Angkor Wat as a state temple to Vishnu; it later became a Buddhist temple.

  2. 1296–1297

    Zhou Daguan of the Yuan court stays about a year at Angkor and later writes A Record of Cambodia, describing its markets, calendar and festivals.

  3. c. 1434

    After the fall of Angkor, King Ponhea Yat moves the capital to Phnom Penh, “the city of four faces” (sources differ; some give 1432).

  4. 1863

    France begins its control of Cambodia; Angkor Wat already appears on the first national flag that year.

  5. 1953

    Independence from France on 9 November, the origin of today’s Independence Day.

  6. 1992

    The Angkor site is inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

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Aerial view of Manhattan Special Economic Zone
Aerial view of Manhattan Special Economic Zone
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