As I walk the streets in the town I hear explosions every few minutes, not far away. There are small fires burning here and there. The street traffic is quieter than I have ever seen it here. Today, for the first time I can remember, I can cross the street without fearing for my life! Many of the locals have fled the town and many of the usual street sellers are gone today. It's a little eerie!

It's all because of the Beast! The beast was called Nian . He would eat the villagers, the children in particular! In order to protect themselves the village people would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. They believed if the beast, Nian, ate the food it wouldn't attack them. One day a god visited one of the villagers and told him to put red paper on his house since the beast was afraid of the color red. The god also told them to set off firecrackers.

So, when the New Year came, the villagers wore red clothes and hung red lanterns on their houses. They placed red spring rolls on their windows and doors. Nina never visited the village again, and the people were safe. This was the ancient myth of the beast, Nian.

This became the Chinese New Year (also called Lunar New Year). It is a major holiday and is centuries old. There are several more myths and traditions connected with the holiday. But, I don't have space to write them all here! 

The Chinese New Year is celebrated in many other countries besides China, including Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines, among some other countries . 

But the holiday is called by different names in different countries. Some countries call it Chinese New Year. Others call it Lunar New Year. Vietnam calls it TET New Year. Regardless of the country or what they choose to call it, it is a time to honor deities and ancient relatives. 

I just celebrated the western New Year, January 1, slightly over a month ago. I was in Vietnam for that holiday. For the Chinese New Year I am in Cambodia. The holiday starts on New Years Eve. This year the date is February 7. New Year's Day is February 8th. There are 4 major days of the celebration but the holiday officially lasts until February 13. The dates vary each year, based on the lunar calendar.

I see the color red everywhere! Red lanterns, red banners, red paper, red clothes, red foods and red buildings. Anything red seems to work. 

Red, costumed, dragons roam around town . The dragons are followed by an entourage of drummers and bell ringers. As they play, the dragons dance around outside the font doors and then enter the building. They are driving away evil spirits and binging good fortune to the occupants for the coming year. Once inside the business or home, the dragon dances while the drums and bells play. One of the costumed group throws water from a bowl, using their hand when they get inside the building. Of course, washing away evil and cleasing for the New Year.

One of the locals asked me if I liked the explosions. I figured out he was referring to the fireworks going off around town. So, yes, there are explosions around town all day and especially at night. The firecrakers chasing the evil spirits away!

The local people are building small fires outside their homes and businesses. They burn paper, mostly fake paper U.S. money, usually $100 bills in small pans or buckets. Sometimes they just build the fire right on the edge of the street!

When I came to the lobby at the hotel this morning, the owner of the hotel and her family and friends were preparing their New Year's Celebration . 

The table was prepared with food and stacks of the reproduced paper money. There was a black cardboard SUV and a cardboard hotel. She explained these represented the wishes for the coming year. They hope for a car and good luck for their 2 hotels. And, of course, a lot of money to come their way. 

After the ceremony the owner gave me a dragon fruit. I put it in the refrigerator to chill. I don't care much for it unless it is chilled, but chilled it is delicious.

The news channel on tv is showing the hordes of Chinese people flooding the airports in China. They are going back to their homelands to be with their families on this 'busiest travel day of the year' in China.

It's the same here. The streets are quiet today because many of the locals have gone back to their homeland for the holiday. (They say homeland - meaning the town or village they grew up in, still in the same country) . Others have closed their shops and street carts to spend the day with their families that have returned to this town.

If you want success in the New Year there are things you 'must do' and things you 'must not do'. The things vary a little from country to country but some of them are:

Things You MUST Do
1. Every family must thoroughly clean their house on New Year's Eve. This is to sweep away any ill-fortune and make way for the incoming good luck. Windows and doors are decorated with red.

2. This New Year is the Year of the Monkey. Get ready if you were born in one of the years of the monkey. They are 1908, 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992 and 2004. This Year of the Monkey could be a rough year for you.

3. Travel back to your home to have a reunion dinner with your family on New Year's Eve.

4 . Be sure to eat fish! The fish's head should be pointed toward the oldest guest or the guest with the most prestige, who eats first. He then quotes a lucky saying in the local language. Other foods that the family must eat together include spring rolls that resemble gold bars, tangerines, celery, plums, chicken with head and feet attached, lettuce and sweets. Each food has a special meaning.

5. Wear new clothes (red is better), in with the new, out with the old!

6. Watch a dragon dance.

7. Set off firecrackers to drive away evil spirits.

DON'T Do These Things
1. Don't take Medicine on the 1st day of the New Year. You will get sick for the whole year.

2. Don't eat porridge for breakfast. It is for poor people. You don't want to start the New Year poor.

3 . Don't wash clothes on the 1st or 2nd day of the holiday. It's the birthday of the Water God.

4. Don't wash your hair on New Year's Day. You will wash away your wealth.

5. Don't use knives, scissors or sharp objects on New Year's Day.

6. Women should not leave their house on New Years Day.

7. Do not sweep the floor of your house this day. You will sweep away your wealth for the year.

8. Don't let the children cry. A crying child will bring bad luck to the family. Parents try to keep the small children especially happy on this day.

9. Don't give clocks, scissors, or pears as gifts. They all have a bad meaning in Chinese culture.

10. Don't wear white or black clothes. They both represent death and funerals .

11. Be sure to stay up until midnight to set off firecrackers to chase away bad spirits and Nian, the New Year monster.

So, Happy New Year of the Monkey, from Cambodia, year 4714! 

But if January 1 and February 8 are not enough New Years for you this year, you still have time to make it here for the 3rd New Years Holiday for 2016, in April!

I intentionally based myself here for February 8, but not because of the New Year celebrations. Today I will watch the Super Bowl game on tv at 6:30 a.m. Monday morning, February 8. It is live from the U.S. where it is being played at 6:30 p.m. ET, on Sunday, February 7.