Although Cambodia follows the Buddhist calendar and new year is scheduled for April, the presence of the Sino-Khmer communities make that the country stops also to celebrate the Chinese new year that in 2011 enters into the Year of the Rabbit. Several Cambodians refuse to celebrate it, seeing it as a foreign festivity. But it is undenniable that Chinese elements belong also to the Cambodian culture. At the same time, Vietnames new year matches with the Chinese and, once more, Viet-Khmer families join the ‘party’. The commerce in the big Cambodian cities almost stop and many people return to their birth place to share with their families, grand parents or friends. Even friends say to others Gong Xi Fa Cai!!! that means Happy New Year in Chinese language.
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