January
International New Year's Day - on January 1st

Victory Day - commemorating every 7th of January, the fall of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge in 1979.

February

Chinese and Vietnamese New Year - Around the period of the full moon, this Chinese and Vietnamese celebration causes many shops and businesses to be closed.

March

Women's Day - Colourful parades mark this national holiday on the 8th of March.

April

Chaul Chhnam - This Cambodian New Year celebration is the equivalent of Songkran in Thailand and follows the end of the harvest season. Generally lasting for three days from 14-16 April during which time Cambodians douse each other liberally with water, clean and decorate their houses, and make offerings at the local temple. City streets are decorated and brightly lit in the evenings. There are cultural shows, entertainment, and competitive games.

May

Labour Day - National holiday on May 1st

Visa Ka Bocea - Commemorating the birth and the first sermon of the Buddha on the 17th of May.

Royal Ploughing Ceremony - Dating back to the times when the reigning king traced the first furrows in the Capital's sacred rice field, thus inaugurating the ploughing season. Today, the ritual is performed every 21st of May, with two people taking the roles of King of Neakh, who leads the yoke and plough, and Queen Me Hour, who sows seeds. After circling the field three times, the procession stops at a chapel where Brahmins invoke the protection of the gods. Sacred cows are guided to eat from seven silver trays containing such things as rice, corn, and beans. Predictions are made for the coming year based upon what they choose. The harvest will be good if they choose the cereals, rain will be abundant if they drink water, but trouble is feared if they eat herbs, or drink alcohol.

June

International Children's Day - June 1st

Queen's Birthday - June 18th

July

Buddhist Lent - The exact date depending on the lunar calendar, this marks the beginning of the 3-month Buddhist Lent. Young men consider this day auspicious for entering the monkhood.

September

End of Buddhist Lent - The day of the final celebrations of the end of Buddhist Lent, with exact date determined by the lunar calendar.

Constitution Day - September 24th

October

Pchum Ben or Soul Day - Running for 15 days from the end of September into October, and the exact date determined by the lunar calendar, this festival is dedicated to blessing the spirits of the dead, and is one of the most culturally significant in Cambodia . Each household visits their Buddhist temple and offers food to the monks for their assistance in blessing the souls of late ancestors, relatives and friends. Pagodas are crowded with people taking their turn to make offerings, with many staying behind to listen to Buddhist sermons.

Bonn Kathen - A religious festival when monks come out of retreat, and people all over the country form reverent slow processions to their local temple. Monks change their old saffron robes for the new ones offered by the devotees, an action that brings spiritual merit to all participants. Date decided by lunar calendar.

Paris Peace Agreement - October 23rd

Birthday of His Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk - Held over three days from October 30th, people converge from all corners of Cambodia to enjoy the shows, parades, festivals, and a giant firework display in Phnom Penh .

November

Independence Day - A national holiday on November 9th to celebrate the independence of Cambodia from France in 1953. A gala parade is held in front of the Royal Palace , which includes floats, marching bands and other entertaining festive activities.

The Bonn Om Took Water Festival - Celebrating the reversed current of the Tonle Sap River that connects the Tonle Sap Lake with the Mekong . For most of the year the river flows out from the lake into the Mekong . However, during the rainy season from about June to October the Mekong rises, causing the Tonle Sap River to flow in reverse, and the lake to swell to more than twice its regular size. At the end of the rainy season, when the water level of the Mekong drops again, the current reverts and flows back into the Mekong . This event is celebrated with three days of boat races, fairs, festivals, shows, parades, fireworks, music and dancing.

December

International Human Rights Day - December 10th