Declaration of Independence (when is Independence Day)
9 November is a national holiday that is celebrated to commemorate the independence of Cambodia from France in 1953. France ruled Cambodia for 90 years.
History
The French Protectorate of Cambodia formed a part of the French Colonial Empire in Southeast Asia. It was formed in the year 1867, when Norodom; the Cambodian King desired to establish a French protectorate over his country. On the other hand, Siam (today known as Thailand) relinquished suzerainty over Cambodia and recognized the French protectorate on the country. In 1887, Cambodia was incorporated into the French Indochina Union. It was granted independent rule within the French Union in 1946 and abolished its protectorate status in 1949. Later on it attained its freedom on 9 November 1953.
Songs
The translated version of Cambodia’s national anthem is:
Heaven protects our King
And gives him happiness and glory
To reign over our souls and our destinies,
The one being, heir of the Sovereign builders,
Guiding the proud old Kingdom.
Temples are asleep in the forest,
Remembering the splendour of Moha Nokor.
Like a rock the Khmer race is eternal.
Let us trust in the fate of Kampuchea,
The empire which challenges the ages.
Songs rise up from the pagodas
To the glory of holy buddhistic faith.
Let us be faithful to our ancestors’ belief.
Thus heaven will lavish its bounty
Towards the ancient Khmer country, the Moha Nokor.
Custom
The residents of Cambodia are usually the followers of Theravada Buddhism. The religion has its very roots in India and the religion teaches them that life and death are blended with each other through the idea of reincarnation. Each one of us led a life based on our behavior of the previous life. And the appropriate word to define the same is “karma”. More simply put in, if you do well then it means that you will have a good karma and vice versa. Greetings between the residents are generally dependant on the hierarchy, age, and relationship between the individuals.
Celebration
On the event of Independence Day, major celebrations are organized in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. The day starts with a morning event at the Independence Monument. Later on, you can also witness a gala parade that is arranged in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh with vibrant floats as well as marching bands. The shops are decorated with national flags. As evening approaches, the Royal Palace as well as other monuments and apartments are lighted up. Finally, a gala display of fireworks is also arranged close to the river banks of the Royal Palace.
Facts
Some of the essential facts about Cambodia are as follows:
- Location: Southeast Asia
- Official Language: Khmer
- Government: multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy
- Prominent Religion: Theravada Buddhist
- Prominent Ethnic groups: Khmer, Chinese, Vietnamese
- Population: 15,458,332
- Capital City: Phnom Penh