Bon Om Touk

Bon Om Touk (បុណ្យអុំទូក)
Also called	Water Festival
Observed by	Cambodians
Type	Buddhist
2016 date	November 13-15
2017 date	November 3-4
2018 date	November 22-24
Related to	Loi Krathong (in Thailand and Laos), Il Poya (in Sri Lanka) Tazaungdaing festival (in Myanmar)

Bon Om Touk (Khmer: បុណ្យអុំទូក, IPA: [bon om tuːk]), or the Cambodian Water Festival, is a Cambodian festival celebrated in November and marks a reversal of the flow of the Tonle Sap River. Every town and province joins in with the festival but the biggest celebrations take place in Phnom Penh with boat racing along the Sisowath Quay. For three days, workers from every province join with the city's residents to celebrate by night and day. The festival lasts for three days, and commemorates the end of the country's rainy season, as well as the reversal of flow of the Tonle Sap River. It includes boat races and concerts, and attracts several million people each year.

Ak Ambok (Khmer: អកអំបុក, IPA: [ʔɑk ɑmboːk]) is named after the rice dish which forms part of the Bon Om Tuk ceremony. Rice is fried in the husk and then pounded with a giant pestle. The husks are removed and the special rice mixed with coconut and banana. This traditional Khmer dish is sold throughout the festival: Ak Ambok, Sampheah Preah Khae, and Bandaet Pratip

Sampeah Preah Khae (Khmer: សំពះព្រះខែ, IPA: [sɑmpeəʰ preəʰ kʰaːe]) is a ceremony in which salutations are made to the moon. After the Sampeah Preah Khae ceremony people gather at a pagoda at midnight for Ak Ambok.

Bandaet Pratip (Khmer: បណ្ដែតប្រទីប, IPA: [ɓɑndaːet prɑtiːp]) begins around 7 pm with illuminated boats taking to the water. Each boat represents a government ministry or state institution.

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Wikipedia