COLUMN
The More the Merrier:Three New Years in ASEAN
Written by_Kim Si-eun, CEO of ASEAN Lab
It’s 2023, the Year of the Rabbit. Since January 1fallson a Sunday, the holiday will becut short, but fortunately, the Lunar New Year will be celebrated longer in Korea. Most of the ASEAN countries also designate the Lunar New Year as a national holiday—along with the Gregorian New Year on January 1—due to the influence of the local Chinese population. As if this is not enough, they celebrate the New Year once more in accordance with their religious calendars.
ASEAN member states can be broadly divided into Buddhist and Islamic countries. Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Thailand are Buddhist, while Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, and Malaysia are Islamic. Singapore is a multiracial country with multiple religions, the Philippines is mainly Catholic, and although Viet Nam has various religions, most of the population is not religious.
While you may be familiar with Songkran, the Thai festival in which people splash water on each other, you may not be aware that this is, in fact, a celebration of the New Year in the Buddhist calendar. Songkran comes from Sanskrit, meaning “change”or “movement.” The festival begins when the sun shifts its position in the sky from one astrological zodiac to another, marking the start of a new year in the traditional calendar.
During the celebration, water is splashed to symbolically wash away the negativity of the past year and welcome fortune and happiness in the year ahead. People also commonly apply white powder or paste to their faces in order to ward off misfortune. Although the festival has been suspended for the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Songkran has nevertheless transformed into an exciting celebration that attracts young people from around the world to gather and have a good time.
Similar festivals are enjoyed in other Buddhist countries, such as Choul Chnam in Cambodia, Bun Pi Mai in Lao PDR, and Thingyan in Myanmar. They usually begin on April 13 or 14, when the harvest season ends, and continue for three days. This year, celebrations are planned from April 14 to 16 in Cambodia, from April 14 to 16 in Lao PDR, April 13 to 16 in Myanmar, and April 13 to 15 in Thailand.
The Hijiri calendar, or Islamic calendar, consists of 354 or 355 days, and because it is based on the movement of the moon rather than the sun, the date of the new year varies every year. While both the Gregorian and Islamic calendars are twelve months long, each month of the Gregorian calendar has 30–31 days, while the months of the Islamic calendar have just 29–30, making its year eleven to twelve days shorter overall. Counting one’s age in the Islamic calendar is different too, just as the age system in Korea is unique when compared to the international standard.
Islamic New Year, or Awal Muharram, is on July 18 in the year 2023, and since it follows a lunar calendar, it officially begins in the evening. Islamic New Year traditions vary from region to region. In Indonesia for example, festivities can include lively parades and colorful ceremonies, while in other regions, people may gather in mosques to modestly pray and reflect on their faith.
Although roughly 87 percent of Indonesia’s population follows Islam and only about 2 percent follow Hinduism, it remains important to understand this minority religion as its adherents primarily live in Bali—one of the most popular destinations for Korean tourists. Balinese New Year, or Nyepi—the Day of Silence—falls sometime between March and April every year. This year, the sacred Hindu holiday falls on March 22. The night before Balinese New Year is filled with parades, rituals, and music, but on the day it self, no one is permitted to go outside, all stores and public areas are closed, and even the airport is shut down; total silence must be observed everywhere, so keep this in mind when planning your trip.
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