Remembering the Dead in Cambodia

As in most cultures around the world, the Cambodians too pay respect to their ancestors that have passed on from the realm of the living to the realm of the dead. The festival is entwined with many folk tales, religious observances and superstitions. Being a predominantly Buddhist nation, many Cambodian believe that the soul continues to live on after death and that its fate depends on your conduct during the previous life. This belief forms the basis of the Pchum Ben Day Festival where thousands of people engage in activities to shower blessings on their kinfolk that have passed on.

According to folklore during the festival, the spirits of the ancestors cross over to the realm of the living and walk the earth; some might even say that it is the Cambodian equivalent of Halloween. The festival is held for a total of fifteen days during the tenth of the traditional Khmer calendar.

During the festival people make offerings to the dead in order to lessen their suffering and to make their passage through the afterlife easier. The ceremonies begin around four o'clock in the morning when people gather at temples and throw offerings of sticky rice on the ground. Later on in the morning they visit the monks and give them various gifts such as food and money, some even give offerings to the poor. This cycle continues on for fifteen days with a lot of ceremonial observations in between.

Many people say that despite the Pchum Ben being a religious festival it was continued even by the anti-religious Khmer Rouge regime. Some Cambodians that have converted to other religions also take part in the festival, which underlines the public interest in Pchum Ben.

Like many Cambodian cities, Phnom Penh also celebrates the Pchum Ben Day Festival with much gusto. Thousands of people head to the temples and make offerings in an outpouring of religiousness; this and many other cultural festivals can be witnessed by tourists to the city. A Cambodia hotel located close to places of worship and cultural landmarks is ideal to experience the culture of Phnom Penh. A five star hotel Cambodia such as Raffles Hotel Le Royal can be found in the capital Phnom Penh, and offer a host of amenities to tourists.