Meak Bochea
| Meak Bochea | |
|---|---|
| Khmer name | មាឃបូជា |
| Also known as | Māgha Pūjā; Magha Puja; Makha Bucha Day; Saṅgha Day; Fourfold Assembly Day |
| Practice type | Festival |
| Usual occasion | Third lunar month full moon |
| Subjects | Celebrations & Life Passages |
Meak Bochea is a festival practised in Cambodia and Khmer communities. (Wikipedia)
Practice
Cambodian Buddhists visit temples and pagodas to make merit, give alms and food, listen to teachings, meditate, chant and observe Buddhist moral precepts. Ceremonies may include processions carrying candles, incense and lotus blossoms three times around a temple, symbolically honoring the Buddha, his teachings and the monastic community. Devotees may also cook for elders or parents and clean their homes. (Wikipedia; Wikipedia)
History
The festival commemorates the traditional gathering of the Buddha and 1,250 disciples, when he taught principles including avoiding evil, doing good and cleansing the mind. The supplied accounts state that Meak Bochea became more widely popular in the modern period through Thailand, and that Cambodian ceremonies and youth participation increased in the late 2010s. One account reports that Cambodia removed it from the national-holiday list in 2019 or 2020. (Wikipedia; Wikipedia)
Variations
Cambodian observances include ceremonies at pagodas, Preah Reach Trop Mountain and Oudong Hill, with particularly large gatherings reported at Oudong. In Siem Reap, processions have been described around Angkor Wat and Wat Damnak, while other communities hold local temple ceremonies. (Wikipedia; Wikipedia)
Communities and practitioners
The practice is kept by Cambodian Buddhists, including lay devotees, monks and nuns. Cambodian government and religious authorities have also promoted ceremonies and youth education about the day. (Wikipedia; Wikipedia)