Cambodia & Tradition : Pchum Ben (បុណ្យ ភ្ជុំ បិ ណ្ឌ), Festival of the Dead and Redemption

Pchum Ben (បុណ្យភ្ជុំបិណ្ឌ) or the Festival of the Ancestors will be celebrated in the Kingdom from 1 to 3 October 2024. Known as the Festival of the Dead or Cambodian All Saints' Day by Westerners, Pchum Ben is much more than that for Cambodians.

Offerings to the monks at Wat Kraya Pagoda. Photograph by Christophe Gargiulo

Family gatherings, crowds in pagodas, Cambodia is currently living to the rhythm of Kan Ben, the set of ceremonies preceding Pchum Ben. The main celebration, Pchum Ben (បុណ្យ ភ្ជុំ បិ ណ្ឌ) combines the Khmer words ‘Pchum’, meaning ‘to gather’, and ‘Ben’, a ‘ball of food’. It is a time during which Cambodians honour their ancestors up to seven generations back.

Phnom Penh at the Ka Ben festival. Photograph by Christophe Gargiulo

Prachum and Benda

A Buddhist tradition dating back several centuries, Pchum Ben is considered to be the most important religious event of the year after Chaul Chhnam (New Year's Day). Pchum Ben is celebrated not only in Cambodia, but also by the various Khmer diasporas around the world. Although this festival is considered unique to Cambodia, there are similar rituals in Sri Lanka.

Festival of the Dead

Pchum Ben, in the Khmer Theravāda Buddhist religion, is said to be the equivalent of the Christian festival of the dead. This custom dates back to ancient times, when Cambodians who converted to Brahmanism believed that after death, the Âtman, the soul of each person, wandered through the cycle of the ocean and was reincarnated. Today, Cambodians believe that, although most earthly creatures are reincarnated on death, some souls, because of their bad Karma, remain trapped in the spirits.

Recollection

During Pchum Ben, families meditate and pray to reduce the influence of their ancestors' bad Karma. The ceremonies used to last three months. Today, they are limited to the two weeks during which wandering souls are released from the spirit world. They take place during the waning lunar cycle of the month, when the sky is obscured by monsoon clouds.

God of the underworld

Every year, Yama, the God of the Underworld, frees wandering souls for a fortnight so that they can go in search of their living relatives, meditate and repent. The living devote this period to honouring their deceased and making offerings for those who have remained in the spirit world.

Monks at Wat Kraya Pagoda

Monks chant the sutras (ancient texts found in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism) in the Pali language throughout the night as a prelude to the opening of the gates of hell.

During this period, as the gates of hell are opened, offerings are made to wandering souls in the hope that their period of purgatory will come to an end.

Mercy

The positive aspect is that, unlike the eternal suffering imagined by Christians, redemption and mercy are entirely possible. Every year at the time of Pchum Ben, if the ghost spirits have accumulated sufficient merit thanks to the actions of their families, some will be able to recover their karma through reincarnation.

Unfortunate ghosts who have not earned enough merit to contemplate redemption will have to return to purgatory, perhaps with the hope of escaping the following year.

This is a ritual of redemption within a ‘Festival of the Dead’ considered unique in the world thanks to its fusion of animist, Chinese and Hindu traditions, and its links to the strong spiritual sensibilities of Cambodia.

Events

During Kan Ben, Cambodians living near a pagoda take turns cooking for the monks and the many visitors from other provinces who come to celebrate Pchum Ben.

During the celebrations, the faithful will visit at least three pagodas and the places where their ancestors died. Early in the morning, around 4 o'clock, Cambodians prepare food, mainly fruit and rice. They make little rice balls and cakes and then go to the pagoda.

Preparing the Ansorm Nom for Pchum Ben

There, they throw the food balls just outside the temple. It is believed that some of their ancestors, those who committed sins during their lifetime, cannot enter the places of worship, even in the form of a ghost.

And they can only eat food prepared by their own descendants. Believers believe that if the spirits do not see their relatives bringing them food, they will become angry and bring bad luck.

Family reunions

Cambodians are given three days off to visit their hometowns and reunite with their families. Generally, as well as going to the pagoda, families get together on this occasion and eat meals together. As Nai, a young Cambodian woman who makes a point of celebrating Pchum Ben every year, explains:

‘Pchum Ben is an important event. Apart from the religious aspect, it's one of the rare occasions when we can get together as a family. I work in the capital and my family is far away, so it's also a time of joy’.

Preparing the Ansorm Nom

Pchum Ben is also a traditional ceremony designed to remind young people to remember and respect their ancestors. Older people always tell children on this occasion:

‘What you have at home is more powerful than the god in the pagoda. Who are the gods in your home? They are your parents, because they give life and take care of the children.‘

Every year, various popular games - wrestling, Labok Kator, horse and buffalo races - are organised in the provincial villages to celebrate the Pchum Ben Festival, as shown below in the village of Vihear Sour, Kandal province.

Popular games for Pchum Ben. Photo AKP

Chaol Vassa

The Pchum Ben festival was originally linked to the Chaol Vassa festival (the beginning of the rainy season) and the Kathin festival.

During his reign, King Jayavarman, a fervent supporter of Buddhism, ensured that Buddhist monks had everything they needed: clothing, food, shelter and medical care.

Compassion

The king realised that when the monks walked to beg for alms during the rainy season, they often had to do so in heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds. The monarch took pity on them and asked them not to give alms for three months each rainy season.

And he appealed to all his subjects to offer food and provide for the needs of the monks during this period.

Additional photos: Lanh Visal & Khem Sovannara - AKP