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: Moul Jetr, Picture by : Nathan Dexter. |
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Although city folks don't tend to observe the
tradition as much any more, it is not unusual
to attend a function and see all the women wearing
the same color hols, phamuong and sarongs (types
of skirts) on a given day.
This is because each day of the week corresponds
with a planet, and each planet has a personality
of its own. So each day has a color which clothing
should correspond to.
An ancient poem explains the days:
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A Color For Each Day, A Day
For Each Color
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Red is for Sunday,
Orange truly looks like a beautiful moon,
Purple is reserved for Tuesday,
Wednesday is the green of the lieb plant
Thursday is the yellowish green of the leaves of a banana
palm
Happy Friday is blue and must be tidy,
Saturday is the color of ripe pring (a type of plum)
according to the ages.
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Cambodian traditional
dress is usually a silk or cotton sampot or hol (types
of skirts) and an embroidered collarless top for women,
and a sarong for men, although many people nowadays, especially
in the city, reserve these outfits for special occasions
and wear Western clothes when going about their daily
routines.
Mrs Keo Narom, a researcher and writer at the Ministry
of Culture and Fine Arts, sites a document compiled in
the 1960's by the Buddhist Institute of Cambodia as the
best explanation of the choice of color for each day.
"We dress by giving consideration to each planet's
vehicle and personality," she said.
"So Sunday (T'ngai attik) is the vehicle of the Sun.
Sunlight to Khmers is seen as red, bright and strong enough
to have an effect on people's feelings.
"Monday (T'ngai chann) is the day of the moon. The
moon is seen as orange, representing a peaceful heart
and victory.
"Tuesday (T'ngai angkear) is the day of Mars. Mars
can be nasty and stubborn, unlike the soft moon. To offset
this, we wear violet, which is a mixture between red and
dark blue.
"Wednesday (T'ngai puth) is the day of Mercury. Mercury
is impartial and even-tempered-never ferocious. People
choose various colors for this day, but the most popular
and the one that is generally seen as most favorable is
the green of the lieb plant's leaves."
Lieb is a tree with edible leaves that are pale in dry
season and turn a brilliant, vibrant green in wet season.
It is often eaten with Khmer noodles, sour dishes and
in kroeung, or spice pastes. |
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An saleswoman shows silks for
the color of each day at the Exhibition Center,
Wat Phnom, run by the Association of Cambodian
Artist Friends.
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"What
everyone does agree on is that Wednesday's color
should be a combination of red mixed with blue,
white and earthy tones to represent the soil,"
Mrs Narom said.
"Thursday (T'ngai prohoh) is the day of Jupiter,
the planet which we believe is the guru planet for
magic, literature and natural phenomena on this
planet. For this reason we wear yellowish green,
which represents nature, flora and fauna.
"The type of green that best reflects Jupiter
should have yellow in it to reflect flexibility,
blue to represent progress and white to represent
purity. Many people believe Thursday is the most
auspicious day for their children to begin studies
and that things are learned more quickly on this
day of the week. It is an auspicious day, and a
day the majority of ceremonies are scheduled for.
"Friday (T'ngai sok) is the day of Venus. Venus
is powerful but not spiteful like Mars or Saturn
can be. His job is to ensure people are happy and
he always maintains an air of tolerance. If he gets
angry, he never loses his temper. The best color
to represent him is a dark, rich blue," she
said.
Friday is believed to be the most happy of days,
a day when people should dress especially neatly,
and a good day for moving into a new house. |
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"Saturday
(T'ngai sau) is the day of Saturn. He is compassionate
and will assist those who please him. However, if he gets
angry, he will destroy whoever or whatever caused his
rage," she said.
"Khmers used to call Saturday Sau kheung (angry Saturday)
or Sau soi (sorrowful Saturday). To offset this, we believe
it is best to wear the color of ripe Jambolan plums, called
pring tum-a combination of red and dark blue."
Children born on Saturdays are believed to be at risk
of suffering sorrow if they displease Saturn, so parents
will often invest in rituals to please the planet and
ward off potential disasters should the child fail to
live up to the planet's expectations.
"If someone does not have the correct color for a
particular day, they can substitute pring tum for any
of the other days," Mrs Narom concluded. For mourning
and funerals, pring tum, black or white are all suitable
colors. Other countries have slightly different ideas
of colors and corresponding days they should be worn,
but Cambodians staunchly hold to their belief in their
auspicious colors. So next time you are at a formal function,
look at the clothes the women are wearing and see if you
can pick what day of the week it is from their attire.
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Suite
B8, Regency Square, InterContinental Hotel, 294 Mao Tse Toung
Boulevard,
Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia.
Tel: (855) 23 213 133 Fax: (855) 23 213 033
E-mail:
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