Khmer community in the south joyfully celebrate Sene Dolta Festival

The traditional festival carries profound significance

According to the customs of the Khmer people in the Southern region, the Sene Dolta Festival used to last for half a month and included four main rituals. Today, to align with modern life, the festival lasts only three days but retains its traditional essence. In 2024, the Sene Dolta Festival of the Khmer people in the southern region takes place from October 1 to 3 (corresponding to the 29th and 30th of August and the 1st of September in the lunar calendar).

On the first day, families tidy up their homes, prepare food offerings, fruit, and beverages, and invite family members to light incense candles and ask the souls of their ancestors and deceased relatives to join them for a meal. Afterwards, they ask the souls of their ancestors to go to the pagoda to listen to the monks chant prayers for the deceased and give sermons.

At noon on the second day, the Khmer people prepare food and bring it to the pagoda for the main offering ceremony. After the monks chant prayers for all the souls of the ancestors from every household in the village, the Buddhist community shares a meal, exchanges farming experiences, and enjoys festivities at the pagoda.

On the third day, each household prepares a food offering and invites several monks, along with relatives from the village, to their homes to chant prayers for the souls of the deceased.

During the festival days, the community shares stories with their children about the contributions and sacrifices made by their ancestors, parents, and deceased loved ones. Additionally, this festival reflects the beautiful traditions of the cultural and spiritual life associated with religious and spiritual activities at the Khmer pagodas in the southern region.

In the provinces of Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Kien Giang, An Giang, and others, during the Sene Dolta Festival, Theravada Buddhism Pagodas are splendidly decorated for many cultural and sports activities that create a warm and meaningful atmosphere.

In the spirit of celebration, the Soc Trang Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee organised a programme to celebrate the Sene Dolta Festival in 2024, themed "Unity, Innovation, Integration, and Development" at Phdau Pen Pagoda in Lao Ven Hamlet, Vien Binh Commune, Tran De District. Vien Binh is a newly elevated rural commune with a large population of Khmer people.

Recently, the community has excelled in fostering the spirit of unity, sharing, and mutual assistance, continuously enhancing their self-reliance and dynamism by applying scientific and technological advancements to improve production efficiency. Many farmers in the area have become skilled in economic activities, owning exemplary agricultural models and high-quality rice fields, with enterprises partnering to guarantee product consumption.

Bhadanta Son Phi Rum, the abbot of Phdau Pen Pagoda, shared that over many years, the Khmer community has received strong support from the Party and the State in socio-economic and cultural development, particularly in preserving and promoting the cultural identity of the ethnic group, including the Sene Dolta Festival. This year's programme features artistic performances and includes activities such as providing solidarity houses for disadvantaged families and scholarships for hardworking and high-achieving students.

During this time in Tra Vinh Province, from early morning, the Khmer people prepare offerings of food and fruits to present to the monks at the pagoda or invite them to their homes to perform the ceremony, which includes placing bowls for the monks and chanting prayers in remembrance of their deceased ancestors.

For many years, Bhadanta Thach Nhut, the abbot of Svay Siem Thmay Pagoda, has managed religious affairs and focused on social activities. He has actively preserved and promoted the cultural identity of the Khmer people in the southern region and collaborates with local pagodas to restore and enhance cultural and artistic activities, including traditional festivals for Buddhist practitioners.

"Alongside efforts to preserve and promote the cultural identity of the ethnic group, the Sene Dolta Festival of the Khmer people in Tra Vinh Province has always been maintained and enhanced, serving as a reminder for everyone about the importance of filial piety towards ancestors and parents, and expressing gratitude to those who contributed to the construction and protection of the country", Bhadanta Thach Nhut stated.

Caring for the lives of Khmer people

Chairman of Soc Trang Provincial People's Committee Tran Van Lau stated that during the 2019-2024 period, the province's economy has continuously grown, with the per capita GRDP reaching over 60 million VND per person per year by the end of 2023. In particular, the growth rate for the first months of 2024 was estimated at 6.54%, higher than the national average.

Currently, all communes have roads accessible by cars to their centres, over 99% of ethnic minority households have been connected to the national power grid, and the percentage of households using hygienic water has reached 99.65%.

To date, 70 out of 80 communes in the province have been recognised as meeting the new rural standards, with nearly half of these communes located in ethnic minority areas. The poverty rate has decreased by an average of 2% per year, with the Khmer poverty rate dropping by 3% annually.

Lam Hoang Mau, Head of the Soc Trang Provincial Committee for Ethnic Affairs, noted that in recent years, the local Party committee and authorities have focused on mobilising and integrating resources to restore, upgrade, and renovate characteristic architectural relic sites, particularly Theravada Khmer Buddhism Pagodas. This effort has contributed to preserving historical and cultural values, educating younger generations on tradition, and promoting spiritual and cultural tourism.

The preservation of ethnic minority languages and scripts has been given great attention, with training and language courses organised for officials, Party members, civil servants, and employees working in areas with large ethnic minority populations.

According to Secretary of the Tra Vinh Provincial Party Committee, Ngo Chi Cuong, during holidays and festivals of the ethnic communities, provincial and local leaders have organised many delegations to visit and offer congratulations at pagodas and to outstanding policy beneficiary families and families with revolutionary contributions. At the same time, they have encouraged the ethnic people to continue upholding the tradition of patriotism, fostering national and religious unity, adhering to the Party’s policies and the laws of the State, and promoting self-reliance and enthusiasm in production and study, and following President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, morality and lifestyle.

Tra Vinh Province has successfully implemented poverty reduction efforts, with the current poverty rate at just 1.19%, while it is 2.03% among the Khmer community. The near-poor household rate is 2.35%, and 3.25% among the Khmer. The province has consistently focused on ethnic and religious matters, implementing various comprehensive development policies, such as preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of the Khmer people. In particular, the material living standards of the Khmer people have been steadily improved.

Sowan Nen, a lecturer, cultural researcher, and renowned playwright of Lakhon Bassac—a unique art form of the southern Khmer people—stated: "It's truly encouraging that in recent years, the Party and the State have devoted great attention to the educational, cultural and artistic development for the Khmer people in the south, particularly in Tra Vinh. This has allowed Khmer children to receive education while maintaining their cultural identity".

To facilitate the celebrations during this year’s Sene Dolta Festival, authorities, businesses, and schools in the localities with a large Khmer population have granted three days off for Khmer ethnic officials, civil servants, soldiers, workers, students, and pupils to celebrate the festival warmly with their families.