It is interesting that Cambodia has its own version of Groundhog Day, only with a sacred cows that chooses from different dishes (and their decisions are aggregated — how democratic!),
Cambodia’s sacred oxen on Monday predicted a dry but peaceful year ahead, eating a healthy diet of beans and rice at the kingdom’s ancient royal ploughing ceremony, but turning their noses up at a bowl of water.
Offered a range of dishes, the oxen steered clear of alcohol – which signifies fighting and turmoil – suggesting that the run-up to general elections in July would not see the violence that has plagued other polls in the war-scarred south-east Asian nation.
“The royal cows ate 30 percent of the rice, 96 percent of the beans and 36 percent of the corn. The prediction is that we will have a good crop for this year,” royal astrologer Kong Ken told a crowd of several thousand in the heart of the capital.
Now all they need is a movie starring Bill Murray a the royal astrologer who has to keep living the same day over and over again.
Source:
Cambodia’s cows see the future in a rice bowl. Reuters, May 19, 2003.