Vennesla Hall, Norway: On Saturday the 24th September 201 – Pictures of the Memorial Day Ceremony (Bon Pchum Ben Festival).
Pictures of the Bon Pchum Ben Festival Norway 2011
By Nath Men
October 1o, 2011
Invitation of Memorial Day (Pchum Ben) and the Evening Party 2011
Text by Nath Men
September 08, 2011
KHMER BUDDHIST SOCIETY AND CAMBODIAN ASSOCIATION NORWAY
Kristiansand, September 04, 2011
INVITATION
We, the Khmer Buddhist Society (KBS) and the Cambodian Association Norway (CAN) have a great honor to invite you all members to join the Memorial Day Ceremony (Bon Pchum Ben Festival) and the Evening Party at Vennesla Hall on Saturday, the 24th September 2011 at 09.00 – 24.00.
Memorial Day (Bon Pchum Ben Festival) of KBS (Time: 09.00 – 13.00):
- Welcome to all members
- Monk will lead the ceremony
The Evening Party to the CAN (Time: 16.00 – 24.00):
- Welcome to all members
- Food and drink
- Candidates are in the range of the singer’s contest
- Result
- Dance everyone!
Note: We hope you will bring food to the monk and the evening party, and after that we will eat together.
Best regards,
Khmer Buddhist Society (KBS)
Cambodian Association Norway (CAN)
Cambodian Community in Norway Organized a Summer Party
Khmer text by Nath Men
Translated by Sokhoeun Pang
July 31, 2011
July 31, 2011
Lillesand City, 30 July 2011, the auspicious day that Khmer people in Norway met for this year summer on the Eastern Island of the city.
With happy feeling and friendliness, they all took boat from a deck near the city transported to an island on the eastern of Lillesand City. Mr. Heap Men, the president of the Cambodian Association Norway (CAN) and Mr. Mina Kim Ou were responsible for transporting them to the gathering spot.
This party was organized by CAN aiming at relaxing, strengthening solidarity, cooperation, understanding, and motivating among the Khmer people in the community.
Mr. Men Heap, the president of CAN, emphasized that this summer get-together was very important for Khmer community in Norway in order to join and show friendship and solidarity. He added that despite not all of the members participated in this auspicious occasion due to their occupation with works, this get-together was organized positively for our Khmer people and we hoped that such an event would be held again next year.
Please view photos here!
Khmer Community in Norway joint the Mourning Ceremony of the Death of the Terrorism Attack
By Sokhoeun Pang
July 26, 2011
On 25 July 2011, representatives of Khmer Buddhist Society and Cambodian Association Norway joint the Mourning Ceremony in Kristiansand City in order to share the condolence of the 76 killed resulted from the bombing and mass shooting at the Cabinet’s building and Utøya island in Oslo carried out by a 32 –year old Anders Behring Breivik on 22 July 2011.
There were about 15000 people attended the Mourning Ceremony at Kristiansand City, according to the local news. Please be informed that the Mourning Ceremony was organized nationwide started at 6pm and interestingly all over the world joint with Norway on that moment of sadness.
Please view some pictures below …!
Activity of Khmer Peacock Dance performs their own culture in the multicultural society
By Nath Men
June 02, 2011
June 02, 2011
On June 01, 2011 Batteriet Southern Norway has conducted many immigrant organizations in southern Norway for the Summer Party in this year.
Dance Group of the Cambodian Association Norway (CAN) performed own culture/tradition to everybody at the Party. The girl, Monineath Phanith (8 years) and boy, Vathanak Kim Veng (13 years) played the Peacock Dance. Ms. Sorivilay Bunchhoeun and Ms. Lihour Heng have taught them to play this role.
Cambodian dance group leader Ms. Sorivilay Bunchhoeun told all at the Party about the background of Peacock Dance: Pusat Peacock Dance (called Robaim Kagoak Pusat)/ Cambodian Folk Dance is the beautiful, green and gold costume with headset of peacock feathers and sparkling.
Description Dance (dance takes 6-8 min): The Peacock Dance has its origins in one of Cambodia’s province called Pusat (North-west of Cambodia). After the farmers went to the mountain to pick cardamom flowers and peacocks they saw played and danced in the misty mountain breeze. When the farmers came back to the village, they told friends in the village by imitating the peacock gesture. It was a folk dance which was later choreographed and taught at the Royal University of Fine Arts in Cambodia and performed during the New Year celebration to pray rain and good harvests in the next season.
The day we had with some pictures of our Peacocks Dance:
Activities on the Vesak Ceremony Norway in May 2011
Translated by Monica Mua Yenn,
May 23, 2011
Vesak (Visak Bochéa), Buddha’s birthday is the most sacred ceremony in Buddhist tradition. In most Busshist countries the ceremonies takes place the 15th day in the 4th month of lunar calendar. This year it was 17th of May and we celebrated Buddhas birth, Buddha’s enlightenment and Buddha’s passing.
Cambodians in Norway chose the weekend, on Saturday, May 21, 2011 to arrange Vesak (Visak Bochéa) at Stiftelsen Arkivet in Kristiansand City.
Khmer Buddhist Society (KBS) invited a monk from Wat Thai Norway in Oslo, Phramaha Kamsing Kavesako who is originally Khmer Sorin, to lead the religious ceremony. The event consisted of: Preaching the three noble truths; mass of Buddhist teachings; food offerings to the monk and acknowledgement of Vesak
Channy Cham who is KBS secretary had the role as the Achar, a Buddhist priest, telling the participants about the story of Vesak.
For the event we invited our Khmer Krom and Thai friends, and we also had visitors from Cambodia, Ms. Khorn Dane, (left pic) who Manager of Branch Marketing officer, ACLEDA Bank, came to Norway to visit her family.
After the monk’s meal, we all enjoyed a pleasant dinner. There was a good atmosphere througout the event.
Pictures of Vesak Day Norway In May 2011
On Vesak Day, Buddhists all over the world commemorate events of significance to Buddhists of all traditions: The birth, enlightenment and the passing away of Gautama Buddha.
Vesak Day was conducted by Khmer community at the Arkivet Center, Kristiansand City, South of Norway on may 21, 2o11.
From Wat Thai Norway, monk Phramaha Khamsing Kavasako leades Vesak ceremony
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Cambodian New Year
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian_New_Year
May 20, 2011
Cambodian New Year (Khmer: បុណ្យចូលឆ្នាំថ្មី) or Chaul Chnam Thmey in the Khmer language, literally “Enter Year New”, is the name of the Cambodian holiday that celebrates the New Year. The holiday lasts for three days beginning on New Year’s Day, which usually falls on April 13 or 14th, which is the end of the harvesting season, when farmers enjoy the fruits of their labor before the rainy season begins. Khmer’s living abroad may choose to celebrate during a weekend rather than just specifically April 13 through 15th. The Khmer New Year coincides with the traditional solar New Year in several parts of India, Myanmar and Thailand.
Cambodians also use Buddhist Era to count the year based on the Buddhist calendar. For 2011, it is 2555 BE (Buddhist Era).[1]
The three days of the new year
Maha Songkran (មហាសង្រ្កាន្ត)
Maha Songkran, derived from Sanskrit Maha Sankranti, is the name of the first day of the New Year celebration. It is the ending of the year and the beginning of a new one. People dress up and light candles and burn incense sticks at shrines, where the members of each family pay homage to offer thanks for the Buddha’s teachings by bowing, kneeling and prostrating themselves three times before his image. For good luck people wash their face with holy water in the morning, their chests at noon, and their feet in the evening before they go to bed.
Virak Wanabat (វារៈវ័នបត)
Virak Wanabat is the name of the second day of the New Year celebration. People contribute charity to the less fortunate by helping the poor, servants, homeless, and low-income families. Families attend a dedication ceremony to their ancestors at the monastery.
Tngay Leang Saka (ថ្ងៃឡើងស័ក)
Tngay Leang Saka is the name of the third day of the New Year celebration. Buddhists cleanse the Buddha statues and their elders with perfumed water. Bathing the Buddha images is the symbol that water will be needed for all kinds of plants and lives. It is also thought to be a kind deed that will bring longevity, good luck, happiness and prosperity in life. By bathing their grandparents and parents, children can obtain from them best wishes and good advice for the future.
New Year’s customs
In temples, people erect a sand hillock on temple grounds. They mound up a big pointed hill of sand or dome in the center which represents sakyamuni satya, the stupa at Tavatimsa, where the Buddha’s hair and diadem are buried. The big stupa is surrounded by four small ones, which represent the stupas of the Buddha’s favorite disciples: Sariputta, Moggallana, Ananda, and Maha Kassapa. There is another tradition called Sraung Preah (ស្រង់ព្រះ): pouring water or liquid plaster (a mixture of water with some chalk powder) on elder relative, or people (mostly the younger generation is responsible for pouring the water).
The Khmer New Year is also a time to prepare special dishes. One of these is a “kralan“: a cake made from steamed rice mixed with beans or peas, grated coconut and coconut milk. The mixture is stuffed inside a bamboo stick and slowly roasted.[2]
Khmer games (ល្បែង ប្រជាប្រិយ )
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Activities of Khmer New Year Norway 2011
By Nath Men
May 19, 2011
Khmer New Year ceremony is a part of the Khmer traditional celebrating. It is celebrated for three days each year on April 13 or 14.
This year it starts on April 14 which is a transition from Year of Tiger, 2554 BE (Buddhist Era) to Year of Rabbit, 2555 BE. New Year’s narration tells us that the fifth princess/angel Kariney Tevie (Karbel Mohar Pruhm’s daughter) who comes from the paradise, and she will take care of all the people in this year.
Khmer people living around the world have a great honor to welcome the new angel and to ask for happiness and prosperity. All apartments and houses are decorated with different lights, flowers, fruits, foods and beverages to receive the new angel.
Khmer people in Norway are also celebrating the Khmer New Year, but we do not do it in 3 days as it is done in our home country because we are very busy with jobs.
On Saturday, April 16, 2011, nevertheless, we choose to celebrate the New Year at Vennesla Hallen. On that day we separate ceremony in two parts. In the early morning the religious ceremony is celebrated and New Year’s party in evening. There are about 350 people both members and guests participate in the party.
In the morning: […Read here (more…)
Welcome Speech of KBS Norway to MP Sam Rainsy from Cambodia
By Nath Men
May 18, 2011
On April 10, 2011 Khmer Buddhist Society (KBS) Norway had a great honor to welcome Mr. Sam Rainsy as a Member of Parliament and the Opposition Party’s leader in Cambodia. Sam Rainsy Party Chapter in Norway has conducted a Welcome Party for Mr. Sam Rainsy at the Stiftelsen Arkivet in Kristiansand City.
Cambodians in Southern Norway were invited to the party to hear and discuss with Sam Rainsy.
The day after the Welcome Party, Sam Rainsy had planned to travel to Oslo Capital City to talk with Members of Parliament Ms. Trine Skei Grande and Ms. Gunn Karin Gjul; Senior Adviser and the Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ms. Hildur Odland and Mr. Erling Rimestad; Director of the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights Mr. Ph.D. Simon Rye; and Political Adviser for Amnesty International Norway Mr. Geral Kador Folkvord.
Leader of Sam Raisy Party Norway Mr. Chhany Chham said that ”we have organized three countries in Scandinavia as Denmark, Norway and Sweden for Mr. Sam Rainsy to discuss with representatives in Parliament, Top Officers of Government and Human Rights Organizations”. ”Our party in Norway invited all Cambodians to the meeting’’ said Chhany Chham. ”We have appreciated and invited the leader of the Cambodian Association Norway (CAN) Mr. Heap Men and a representative of Khmer Buddhist Society Norway Mr. Bona Khao to share the Welcome Speech at the Welcome Party”.
KBS’s Welcoming Speech was read by a Steering Member Mr. Bona Khao. Here we have this as following:
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