Khmer people’s perception of cultural changes in the New Year festival (A case study in Don Xuan Commune, Duyen Hai District, Tra Vinh Province)

Abstract

The New Year festival (Pithi Chol Chnam Thmay) of the Khmer people in Southern Vietnam is a traditional one, which has undergone changes under the influence of modern society. This paper was based on the survey results of 42 correspondents representing 42 Khmer households in Don Xuan Commune, Duyen Hai District, Tra Vinh rovince to investigate their perception of cultural changes in celebrating the New Year festival. The quantitative and qualitative research result have reflected Southern Vietnam Khmer people's perception of changes in the content, form, and festival audiences, namely that (1) few Khmer people find the changes in the activities of the New Year festival, (2) Khmer people have limited understanding of the significance of the New Year festival activities, (3) the process of transmitting traditional culture values of the New Year festival is one-way, passive, and incomplete, and (4) young Khmer people tend to migrate to big cities for their livelihood, which separates them from the traditional cultural space of the Khmer people. This paper aims to provide the realistic data, contributing to the practical assessment of the economic and cultural life of the Khmer people in Don Xuan Commune, Duyen Hai District, Tra Vinh rovince nowadays as well as offer helpful suggestions on the formulation of ethnic policies and the preservation of the intangible culture of the Khmer people in Southern Vietnam.