PHNOM PENH: Pchum Ben is one of the most cherished Khmer festivals, during which families gather to pay respects to their ancestors over 15 days. The name itself is a fusion of two Khmer words: “Pchum,” meaning “to gather together,” and “Ben,” which represents a “ball of food.” While the first 14 days are technically referred to as Kan Ben, the term Pchum Ben is generally used for all 15 days of celebration. During the festival, people gather to prepare food for the living and the dead and visit pagodas to receive blessings from monks.

On the first day of the celebration, people gathered at Tuol Pagoda in large numbers despite the rain to give food dedicated to their relatives who passed away. 54-year-old Sok Bunthoeun and his wife brought food and drink to the monks to dedicate to their ancestors and also paid alms to the nuns at the pagoda. He said that he always comes to the pagoda on the first day of Pchum Ben so that his ancestors will receive his offering. He plans to go to seven pagodas with his family to celebrate the Khmer tradition.

"I want to come to the first day of Kan Ben, because it is the first day that they [ancestors] can come together. We remember their merits and give rice and food for the first day of Kan Ben. On other days we will go to other pagodas,” he said. “The Pchum Ben festival is very important as a tradition of our Khmer people.”

Oum Puthearith, 58, was in a place of gratitude and serenity when she told EAC NEWS that she always comes to the pagoda to offer food to the monks, including soup and dessert, along with candles and incense. She said she never misses the first day of Kan Ben and was especially happy to honor her parents who have passed away.

"I’m feeling happy, because every year I come to the pagoda for Kan Ben, so we have to come to honor our parents who died […] is very important because, firstly, it reminds us of our traditional festival,” she said. “We will remember with gratitude our parents who passed away and all the relatives who died. We dedicate offerings to them so that they can receive them.”

Pheng Phuong Nary said that her family always gives food and drink to the monks because they have faith that the ancestors will be released when their children come to make offerings.

"For Kan Ben every year, especially day one, we come to the pagoda because it is important. Those who passed away will be awaiting their relatives. We must not miss the first day. We must come […] for 15 days, but the first is very important because that is when our ancestors come out.” She said that she follows in the tradition of her mother, grandmother and all previous generations in honoring the first day of Pchum Ben.

Venerable Chan Saroeun, a monk who has lived in Tuol Pagorda for about three years, said that the Pchum Ben festival has been celebrated since ancient times so that people can make offerings to ancestors who have not yet been reborn. In Buddhist tradition, people do not know if their ancestors have moved on to another life or been trapped in a Buddhist hell due to bad karma. This festival allows people to give offerings to all their ancestors.

 “Pchum Ben means that people can dedicate [good deeds to the ancestors]. Wherever [our ancestors have ended up after death]…we have the opportunity to do meritorious deeds, fulfill meritorious deeds, and meet for months of celebration. We are reminded of the ancestors…[It is a] tradition from the time of King Ang Duong, which has been celebrated and connected to us today”.

Venerable Chan Saroeun emphasized that as Buddhists, people can make offerings at the pagoda on any day, so long as they are sincere. However, some people believe that if they do not visit a temple on Pchum Ben, their ancestors will not be able to find them so they often make the offerings out of fear.

In addition to making offerings to monks, Khmer people also participate in other temple activities such as placing paper cut-outs meant to represent their ancestors in piles of sand along with incense, believing that it relieves their bad Karma from a previous life and from this life.

Oum Puthearith said, "Sand-piling means that if we commit something wrong by accident or we don’t know, all those [deeds] go with this sand and we can be free from suffering. We let it go in the sand and no harm will come to us.”

The festival runs for 15 days and culminates with Pchum Ben day on October 15, when many Cambodians will return home to visit with friends and family. Over 400 buses have been allocated by the government to facilitate people’s return home for the festival.