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Lowell nonprofit CMAA to host Khmer New Year parade, vigil, monk blessing and community events
Summary
The Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association in Lowell plans a series of Khmer New Year events in mid-April — including a vigil, a monk blessing at CMAA, and a parade to Clemente Park — and reminded residents of the organization’s elder and civic services.
The Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association (CMAA) in Lowell plans a series of Khmer New Year events including a vigil on April 17, a monk blessing at CMAA on April 18 and a parade from CMAA to Clemente (Clemente) Park that the association says will begin at 12:30 p.m., with a community event at the park from about 1 to 5 p.m., CMAA representative Rena said during an interview on Lowell Telemedia Center’s program The Lowellian.
Khmer New Year is an annual three-day holiday of family gatherings, blessings and temple visits, Rena said. “Khmer New Year is usually celebrated 3 consecutive days in the, in Cambodia. And it's really, day to, like, be with your families, your friends, and give thanks and blessings to the monks,” she said.
CMAA framed the events as part of a broader set of observances described in the interview as “Balen Khmer,” which will include a vigil described as a day of remembrance for people who suffered under the Khmer Rouge. Rena said the vigil will be on April 17 and that a flag-raising and a ceremony featuring children singing the Cambodian anthem took place at City Hall earlier in the week.
Rena described CMAA’s client services during the interview. “CMAA is a organ a nonprofit organization, and they have different services, for the Cambodian, particularly the Cambodian community, like the, wrap around that help service the, elderly with, you know, some of the paperworks for mass health, energy, programs. They help them to be eligible to see if they qualify for, money, the grant that's from the state that's gonna help pay their bills. Also, like, information for social security, application, SSI, housing, pretty much a lot of, public service that, you know, people aren't aware about. They help them through that, through the translation as well,” she said.
Event details given in the interview: the monk blessing is scheduled at CMAA on the 18th and will be held in multiple floors of the CMAA building; the parade is set to leave CMAA at 12:30 p.m., proceed along Brand Street and loop into Clemente Park, and the park program will include food, tabling and performances. Rena said city officials are expected to attend the parade and that monks and traditional performers (including a chaiyum dance and the ritual of the “old angel” and “new angel” descent) will take part.
The interview listed two web addresses for more information. Rena gave CMAA’s site as CMAA.org. A second site given in the recording was pronounced in a fragmented way as “balinkamai,uh,.org”; that pronunciation is presented here as stated in the interview because the recording’s rendering of the address was unclear.
Rena invited the public to attend the parade and the park events. “I just hope to see everybody at the parade. This is going to be very exciting,” she said.
The interview also mentioned other partner organizations and planned gallery exhibits and theater events tied to the fiftieth anniversary of some community observances, but the recording did not provide a complete list of partners or exhibit schedules.
