Pchum Ben 2020 Kicks Off

CEOCambodiaNews · Post by **CEOCambodiaNews** » Wed Sep 02, 2020 4:05 pm

At this time, Cambodians traditionally go back to their villages to honor their ancestors.
What about you expats, how many of you will be celebrating the holiday with spouse or friends in their villages ?

Pchum Ben – September 16, 2020
Buddhist

Pchum Ben, which falls on the 15th day of the 10th Khmer month, will be celebrated on September 16, 2020, and marks the start of a 15 day religious festival in Cambodia. The Cambodian buddhists believe that every year the souls of their ancestors are released for 15 days. Pchum Ben marks the start of the journey of souls to purgatory, that in-between place that is neither heaven nor hell. The course of their journey will be decided by their karma and by the offerings made by their living relatives during Pchum Ben. This festival begins at the end of the Buddhist Lent. During this time, foods are cooked for the monks to generate merits that will benefit the dead.

History of Pchum Ben

The 15-day ceremony of Pchum Ben is a time for Cambodians to honor their previous seven generations of ancestors. The first 14 days are known as “Kan Ben” and during this time families gather at nearby pagodas, offering food and prayers to their ancestors to save them from bad karma. The belief is that deceased relatives wait at the pagodas for their loved ones to return to them.

“Ben Thom” on Day 15 sees families bring baskets full of flowers and children offering sticky rice cake to the monks. This is the main festival day and everyone dresses up for the occasion. Cambodians believe their actions on earth shape their appearance as a ghost after death. By praying and offering food during Pchum Ben, the family is helping their ancestors pass on to a better life as well as ensuring their ancestors don’t get angry and curse them.

The festival dates back to the Middle Ages and is among the most important holidays in Cambodia. Nowadays students and workers will return back to their families to observe Pchum Ben with them and make their offerings.
https://nationaltoday.com/pchum-ben/

armchairlawyer · Post by **armchairlawyer** » Wed Sep 02, 2020 6:17 pm

I think it starts tomorrow and ends on Friday 18th, but only the last three days are holidays.

STEVITO · Post by **STEVITO** » Wed Sep 02, 2020 6:40 pm

Pchum Ben starts tomorrow (3 Sep) and finishes 17 Sep. That's 15 days.
The three public holidays are 16-18 Sep.
So 18th is called a Pchum Ben Holiday but is not in Pchum Ben. It took me about 7 years of living in the Kingdom to realise that. And it still makes no sense...

xandreu · Post by **xandreu** » Wed Sep 02, 2020 7:08 pm

STEVITO wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 6:40 pm Pchum Ben starts tomorrow (3 Sep) and finishes 17 Sep. That's 15 days.
The three public holidays are 16-18 Sep.
So 18th is called a Pchum Ben Holiday but is not in Pchum Ben. It took me about 7 years of living in the Kingdom to realise that. And it still makes no sense...

I still don't get Khmer New Year. In our culture, we have New Years Eve, the last day of the year, and New Years Day, the first day of the new year. Yet when I ask Khmers which day over the 3/4/5 day holiday is the actual first day of the new year, they seem confused by the question, let alone are able to give a straight answer.

CEOCambodiaNews · Post by **CEOCambodiaNews** » Fri Sep 04, 2020 2:04 am

STEVITO wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 6:40 pm Pchum Ben starts tomorrow (3 Sep) and finishes 17 Sep. That's 15 days.
The three public holidays are 16-18 Sep.
So 18th is called a Pchum Ben Holiday but is not in Pchum Ben. It took me about 7 years of living in the Kingdom to realise that. And it still makes no sense...

14-Day Kan Ben Festival Kicks Off
AKP Phnom Penh, September 03, 2020 --

The two-week-long Kan Ben Festival starts today in the pagodas throughout the country.

This year, this annual religious festival will take place until Sept. 16.

As usual, Cambodian people go to pagodas to offer foodstuff to the monks. They believe that the monks will then convey the offering to their late ancestors.

Kan Ben is part of “Pchum Ben” Festival or the Festival for the Dead, one of the biggest festivals in Buddhism. This religious festival, which falls on the fifteenth day of Kan Ben, is to celebrate this year on Sept. 17.
- AKP

armchairlawyer · Post by **armchairlawyer** » Fri Sep 04, 2020 12:37 pm

Change thread title?

whatwat · Post by **whatwat** » Fri Sep 04, 2020 1:23 pm

xandreu wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 7:08 pm
STEVITO wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 6:40 pm Pchum Ben starts tomorrow (3 Sep) and finishes 17 Sep. That's 15 days.
The three public holidays are 16-18 Sep.
So 18th is called a Pchum Ben Holiday but is not in Pchum Ben. It took me about 7 years of living in the Kingdom to realise that. And it still makes no sense...
I still don't get Khmer New Year. In our culture, we have New Years Eve, the last day of the year, and New Years Day, the first day of the new year. Yet when I ask Khmers which day over the 3/4/5 day holiday is the actual first day of the new year, they seem confused by the question, let alone are able to give a straight answer.

The new year is when it starts, either 13th or 14th. So the day before is equivalent to our NYE.

It literally stands for “Enter New Year”.

xandreu · Post by **xandreu** » Fri Sep 04, 2020 4:18 pm

whatwat wrote: ↑Fri Sep 04, 2020 1:23 pm
xandreu wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 7:08 pm
STEVITO wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 6:40 pm Pchum Ben starts tomorrow (3 Sep) and finishes 17 Sep. That's 15 days.
The three public holidays are 16-18 Sep.
So 18th is called a Pchum Ben Holiday but is not in Pchum Ben. It took me about 7 years of living in the Kingdom to realise that. And it still makes no sense...
I still don't get Khmer New Year. In our culture, we have New Years Eve, the last day of the year, and New Years Day, the first day of the new year. Yet when I ask Khmers which day over the 3/4/5 day holiday is the actual first day of the new year, they seem confused by the question, let alone are able to give a straight answer.
The new year is when it starts, either 13th or 14th. So the day before is equivalent to our NYE.

It literally stands for “Enter New Year”.

Thanks. That's the most straight answer I've ever had.

CEOCambodiaNews · Post by **CEOCambodiaNews** » Wed Sep 09, 2020 6:21 pm

As usual, if anyone has photos they want to share on here, go right ahead.

AndyKK · Post by **AndyKK** » Wed Sep 09, 2020 8:30 pm

CEOCambodiaNews wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 4:05 pm At this time, Cambodians traditionally go back to their villages to honor their ancestors.
What about you expats, how many of you will be celebrating the holiday with spouse or friends in their villages ?

Because what it means to most I will be traveling with my partner for the strong tradition within the people who will honour their past ancestors. We had a small discussion about the celebration last night, I asking if it was possible to go to a local pagoda in the area where we live instead of traveling to her family home and pagoda, something tells me that probably is not acceptable, for the ancestors may not find the food at another destination.

Pchum Ben (Khmer: បុណ្យភ្ជុំបិណ្ឌ; "Ancestors' Day") is a 15-day Cambodian religious festival, culminating in celebrations on the 15th day of the tenth month in the Khmer calendar, at the end of the Buddhist lent, Vassa.
The day is a time when many Cambodians pay their respects to deceased relatives of up to 7 generations.

I actually found this an interesting read -

"It is believed that some of the dead receive punishment for their sins and burn in hell - they suffer a lot and are tortured there," he added. "Hell is far from people; those souls and spirits cannot see the sun; they have no clothes to wear, no food to eat," Om Sam Ol continued. "Phchum Ben is the period when those spirits receive offerings from their living relatives and perhaps gain some relief. Relatives consecrate and dedicate food and other offerings to them."

Everyone goes to the pagoda because they don't want the spirits of dead members of their family to come to seek offerings at pagodas in vain. It is believed that wondering spirits will go to look in seven different pagodas and if those spirits cannot find their living relatives' offering in any of those pagodas, they will curse them, because they cannot eat food offered by other people," the monk said.
"When the living relatives offer the food to the spirit, the spirit will bless them with happiness", he added.

https://www.tourismcambodia.com/trippla ... um-ben.htm

And what of the following, how, will this be carefully monitored and carried out -

Pagodas prepare Covid measures for Pchum Ben

Minister of Cults and Religions Chhit Sokhon instructed directors of all provincial and municipal departments to work with Buddhist leaders to reduce the risk of Covid-19 during the upcoming Kan Ben and Pchum Ben festivals.
The Kan Ben and Pchum Ben ceremonies this year will take place from September 13-17.
Sokhon wants his officials to work with monks at all levels and pagoda chiefs throughout the capital and provinces to strengthen safety measures.
Sokhon said in an announcement on August 25 that people will travel to pagodas across the country for the Buddhist holidays.

https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ ... -pchum-ben

Pchum Ben 2020 Kicks Off

Pchum Ben 2020 Kicks Off

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