Royal Plowing Day

There were just a string of holidays here including: the Kings Birthday (3days), and Royal Plowing Day.

The Royal Plowing Ceremony takes place in Phnom Penh ( the capital). It reminds me of Groundhogs Day in America. According to Wikipedia, this is what happens during the ceremony:

"In the ceremony, two sacred oxen are hitched to a wooden plough and they plough a furrow in some ceremonial ground, while rice seed is sown by court Brahmins. After the ploughing, the oxen are offered plates of food, including rice, corn, green beans, sesame, fresh-cut grass, water and rice whisky.

Depending on what the oxen eat, court soothsayers make a prediction on whether the coming growing season will be bountiful or not. The ceremony is rooted in Brahman belief, and is held to ensure a good harvest."

Front page news this year was that the royal oxen ate only corn and beans, but not rice!! Surely a grave sin in this country. Royal astrologers say that this means that corn and beans will do well this year. The oxen also ate cut grass which is said to mean that livestock will suffer ( specifically from pandemic diseases).

Other government officials say that the rainy season, which started early this year, is good for the crop regardless of the type.