The legend of Khmer Happy New Year

            This legend is the well-known legend, which is talked from mouth to mouth in Cambodia every year. When the Khmer Happy New Year eve is arriving, all the people are quite enthusiastic to know about the history of Khmer New Year’s celebration. On upon a time, there is a man whose name, Dhammabal Palakumar, who is the cleverest of other people and can deal with all kind of problems correctly, speak all animal’s and bird’s languages. On day this prestige was heard to Kabil Mahabrahma, the king of the heaven, and then he came to meet Dhammabal Palakumar at human’s world. Then, he asks three question to Palakumar and bet that if Palakumar cannot answer correctly, he have to cut his head. In contrast, if he can, Mahabrahma will cut his head as the loser. Mahabrahma ask Palakumar to give the definition of the happiness in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening by giving seven days to solve the questions.
From day-to-day have passed, and the pointing day is approaching, but Palakumar still cannot find out the right answer for Mahabrahma. He decides to go to forest to die there secretly. Fortunately, while sleeping under two palm tree, he heard a couple of eagles is having a small talk that tomorrow we will have corpse to eat because Mahabrahma bet with Palakumar with three questions and right now Palakumar cannot solve the questions, thus we really could eat him. After that, male eagle asked to female eagle what are the answers of those questions? Palakumar heard the talk of both angles that happiness in the morning of people is one the face that is why people wash the face after getting up; in the afternoon happiness of people appear on their chest, so people wash their chest, and in the evening happiness of people is on the feet that is why people wash their feet before going to bed.
The day of the appointment is arriving; Palakumar give the answer to Mahabrahma correctly, then on behalf of the loser, Mahabrahma have to cut his head but before cutting ask seven of his daughters put his head on the golden dish by saying that if his head falls on the ground, it will get on fire and burn everything on the earth. Moreover, if that head falls in to the ocean, ocean will become dry. From that time on, seven of his daughters need to take turn in order to take care her father’s head every year. This is the scene of legend which is talked and spoken from mouth to mouth in Cambodia.

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