Pchum Ben Festival in Cambodia

Pchum Ben, also called the Ancestor's Day, is a Cambodian religious celebration when the locals pay their respects to their deceased relatives.

Pchum Ben is the time when the spirits of the dead ancestors walk on the earth. Their suffering can be eased by the living relatives through giving offerings. It usually falls on the 15th day of the tenth month in the Khmer Calendar. This year,it will be on 13-27 September, 2011. It lasts for 15 days ending on the 15th day of the 10th month. Monks chant the "Pali", a canonical text, overnight in preparation for the opening of the gates of hell, which is believed to occur only once a year, the night before the festival starts.

The gate will remain open for 15 days, which marks the 15-day festival. During this time, Khmers start gathering at the temple at 4 in the morning everyday to toss rice balls in the air as a way of feeding the spirits of the dead. At 6AM, they return to the temples to bring offerings to the monk. This offerings are believed to generate merits that indirectly benefit the dead. At 10AM, they will return again to the temple with more food which will be shared between the monks and poor people. Practically, anyone who visits the temple during this 15-day festival is free to eat the food offered in the temple. Between 3pm to 6pm, there will be more prayers for the dead ancestors.

According to Buddhist beliefs, our life after death is pre-dictated by how we lived our lives on earth. Minor offenses are punished by minor things. For instance, if you were a gossiper when you were alive, your spirit when you die will be punished with a really small mouth. Thus, Khmers most of the time offer them sticky rice because they believe that it is the easiest food for the spirit to catch, since it sticks. For the monks, the festival is a special time for reflection to purify their minds. It is also believed that the more pagodas one has visited during the 15-day festival, the more likely it is for the spirits of their deceased relatives to find them anywhere they are, as the spirits wander around in search for their living kins.

Unique and colorful as it is, Pchum Ben is the best time of the year to visit Cambodia. APSARA TOURS will be very happy to include this in your itinerary if you wish to witness or even participate in the actual celebration. Contact our sales people for further information and booking.