The customs of the Khmer people in the South included the Sene Dolta festival, which used to last for half a month and consisted of 4 main rituals: the rice ball offering ceremony (Banh canh banh), the ancestor worship ceremony (Banh sene dolta), the spiritual festival (Banh phchum banh), and the ancestor farewell ceremony (Banh chuônh dolta). Nowadays, the Sene Dolta festival only lasts for three days to accommodate modern life, but it still preserves its traditional practices.

The 2024 Sene Dolta Festival of the Khmer people in the South takes place from October 1 to 3, 2024 (August 29, 30, and September 1 of the lunar calendar).

There are two legends about the origin of the Sene Dolta festival. According to one legend, in the past, most Khmer people in the South grew rice from April to the beginning of August of the lunar calendar, which was the rainy season when flood waters rose. At the end of the season, people often visit their elderly grandparents and parents, sometimes taking several days to arrive. Therefore, they always carefully prepared food and gifts. When they arrived at their grandparents' and parents' homes, some people were happy to reunite, while others were sad to part, as sometimes when they arrived, one of their relatives had died due to old age or illness. Because they were children living far away, busy making a living, and did not visit often, they did not know. Gradually, those who went together made arrangements to meet at a particular place to hold a ceremony to pay tribute to their grandparents and parents and to express condolences to those in the same situation.

Second, the Sene Dolta ceremony originates in the Buddhist story of King Ping-pis-sara. According to the legend, following the Buddha's teachings, the king invited monks to perform a dedication ceremony. During the ceremony, the monks recited sutras to transfer merits and offered food and clothes to the deceased. This custom is upheld by the Khmer ethnic people in the South, who organize the Sene Dolta ceremony every year. The ceremony is associated with religious rituals, during which monks recite sutras to pray for blessings for the people’s deceased grandparents, parents, and relatives, wishing for them to attain a happier life quickly.

The pentatonic orchestra is performed during the Sene Dolta festival.

Today, the Khmer people celebrate the Sene Dolta ceremony over three days.

Day 1 (welcoming ceremony): The family cleans the house and ancestral altar. Then, they prepare a tray of food, cakes, wine, tea, etc. Family members burn incense and candles and pray to invite the souls of grandparents and the deceased to come and eat with them. In the afternoon, everyone dresses neatly and continues to prepare a new tray of food to worship their grandparents. They then invite grandparents' souls to the pagoda to listen to the monks chant sutras and preach until evening. The achars (the people who lead the ceremony) take the rice balls on the tray to worship the Three Jewels, invite the monks to chant sutras and pray for the souls of the deceased. They then bring the rice balls outside and place them around the main hall to worship the lonely souls without relatives.

Day 2 (primary worship day): At noon, Khmer people prepare a tray of rice with cakes, fruits, etc., to bring to the pagoda to organize the most crucial worship (collective worship). After the monks chant sutras to pray for the souls of all the ancestors of all the families in the village, the ceremony participants will eat together, exchange experiences in farming, and have fun at the pagoda. In the afternoon, they hold a ceremony to welcome the souls of their ancestors home, offer a new tray of rice to their ancestors, and invite them to stay and witness the prosperous life of their children and grandchildren.

Day 3 (farewell ceremony): Each family prepares a tray of rice and invites monks and relatives in the village to come to their house to chant sutras to pray for the souls of the deceased. As for the preparation for the deceased grandparents and relatives, people make a boat out of banana leaves, with flags, two effigies (representing ancestors), and a little bit of everything, including rice, salt, clothes, money, and votive paper. The family lights incense, lights the boat, and releases it on the river or canal near the house to bring the grandparents and deceased relatives back to the other world.

During the Sene Dolta festival, the offerings to ancestors depend on the economic conditions of each family. Children also prepare delicious foods and meaningful offerings to present to their ancestors as a sign of respect. These offerings are often simple, everyday dishes, such as fruits from the home garden and products from the local market. During the festival, people share stories with their children and grandchildren to remember the birth and upbringing of their late grandparents and parents.

In the Mekong Delta provinces, particularly in areas with a large Khmer population, such as Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, and Kien Giang, Khmer Theravada Buddhist temples are adorned during holidays. Cultural and sports activities are organized on the serene and significant temple grounds. In An Giang, the annual Bay Nui Bull Racing Festival coincides with the Sene Dolta festival, reflecting the traditional cultural essence of the local rice-growing residents. The race takes place on a flat field measuring about 200m long and 100m wide, with water on the surface creating a slippery, muddy track. It is enclosed by barriers on all sides, with a clear path at the finish line for a safe stop. The main racing track only requires 120m along the field adjacent to the barrier. At the starting point, two green and red flags, each 5m apart, are positioned at the finish line. The bulls stand at the colored flag that designates the finish line. Bulls from various regions are selected to compete in the race. The bull race consists of two rounds: the first round, known as the (vòng hô), involves the bull drivers moving slowly to greet the audience before the actual race. When the referee waves the flag, the riders allow the bulls to sprint at full speed in the final 120m (vòng thả) to reach the finish line. In 2016, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism included the Bay Nui Bull Racing Festival in the national intangible cultural heritage list.

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The Sene Dolta festival of the Khmer people in South Vietnam is a ritual that symbolizes filial piety, honoring the birth and upbringing of grandparents, parents, and ancestors and passing on these values to future generations. It also showcases the traditional beauty of labor, production, culture, and spiritual practices at the Khmer Theravada Buddhism pagodas in South Vietnam.