Pchum Ben
| Pchum Ben | |
|---|---|
| Khmer name | ភ្ជុំបិណ្ឌ |
| Also known as | Ancestor's Day; Festival of the Dead; Hungry Ghosts Festival; Brochum Ben; Sen Don Ta |
| Practice type | Festival |
| Usual occasion | End of Buddhist Lent |
| Subjects | Celebrations & Life Passages |
Pchum Ben is a festival practised in Cambodia and Khmer communities. (Wikipedia)
Practice
Families visit pagodas over fifteen days to honor deceased relatives, traditionally reaching back up to seven generations, and to make offerings for ancestors and wandering or hungry spirits. They bring food and donations for monks, light incense and candles, listen to Buddhist chanting, and prepare round rice balls called bay ben, which may be offered on plates, thrown into the air, or placed on temple grounds or fields. The offerings are understood either to generate merit for the dead through the monks or, in some communities, to provide food directly to spirits during the period when the gates of hell are believed to open. (Wikipedia; Cambodianess)
History
The supplied sources describe Pchum Ben as having ancient or Angkorian roots, with older animist customs continuing within a Buddhist framework. One tradition connects the practice of offering alms during the rainy season with King Jayavarman VII, while another account says that King Ang Duong shortened ceremonies that had once lasted three months to fifteen days. The festival is also associated with legends and scriptures concerning hungry ghosts, merit transfer, King Yama, and the suffering of deceased relatives. (Wikipedia; Cambodianess)
Variations
The first fourteen days are called Kan Ben or Kan Ban, while the fifteenth is Pchum Ben. In some temples, canonical offerings are made from laypeople to living monks so merit can benefit the dead; elsewhere, especially in rural settings, people also throw or scatter rice balls as a direct offering to spirits. Khmer Surin and Khmer Krom communities use the name Sen Don Ta, and some highly religious participants visit several pagodas, traditionally as many as seven. (Wikipedia; Cambodianess)
Communities and practitioners
Khmer people and Cambodian families observe the festival, often returning to their home communities and visiting local pagodas. Buddhist monks chant protective or scriptural passages, receive offerings, and conduct the associated ceremonies; traditional music such as Yike or Lakhon Basak may also be performed during the festivities. (Wikipedia; Cambodianess)