April is a special month in Lowell because it brings with it the celebration of the Khmer New Year.
This is the Year of the Rabbit, which is the sign of longevity and peace. And while the official celebration is from April 14 to April 16, in Lowell we are exploiting the theme of longevity to celebrate pretty much all month long.
This year we began the sharing of Khmer tradition with the community on April 8 with a New Year’s Dinner Celebration, which was held at UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center. Lowell’s Cambodian American nonprofit organizations—Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association, Angkor Dance Troupe, Inc., Cambodian American Literary Arts Association, and the Clemente Park Committee—came together with the help of City Councilor Vesna Nuon and joined with Lowell Housing Authority for this special event.
More than 300 people joined from all corners of our city and with the support of UMass Lowell, Community Teamwork Inc., Pride Star Trinity EMS, Rosa & Taing Law LLC, Coalition for a Better Acre, Middlesex Community College, United Healthcare, Lowell Community Charter Public School, Gallagher & Cavanaugh Law Firm, Mosaic Lowell, Lowell Public Schools, Project LEARN, Enterprise Bank, and many individuals, including Councilors Paul Ratha Yem, Rita Mercier, Kimberly Scott, and Corey Robinson; School Committee member Susie Chhoun; and State Reps Vanna Howard and Rodney Elliott.
We hope the 2023 Khmer New Year’s Dinner Celebration is the first of many, with the goal of bringing the Khmer community together and sharing our culture with the greater Lowell community. But first, let’s continue our celebration of the Year of the Rabbit.
Join us Friday, April 14, 10 a.m. at City Hall for the Khmer Flag raising. Then on Saturday, April 22, we begin celebrating at the Senior Center on Broadway at 9:00 a.m., followed by a parade beginning at 12:30 p.m. from the Center to Clemente Park, and continuing activities at the park until 5:00 p.m.
Let’s celebrate together with the food, the dance, and the music of Khmer tradition and speak truth to our motto: #Lowell, There’s A Lot To Like.
