Cambodian Pchum Ben days

Cambodian Pchum Ben Days – Ancestor Day

Pchum Ben Days

Pchum Ben is a Cambodian annual religious festival. It’s celebrated from the 1st to the 15th day of the waxing moon of the 10th Lunar month, Phutrobot (ភទ្របទ). Pchum means ” gathering together” and Ben means ” offering “. Thus Pchum Ben may translated as Gathering together to make offering. For Cambodian Buddhists believe that after dead, people would involving reincarnation. But for the bad karma that people did during the living, their souls would be stored in hell to receive suffering as punishment. It’s believe that the gates of the hell are opened and the ceased may visit their relatives for 15 days. During this time, foods are offering to the monks (cham hanh) everyday in every pagoda, as it’s the way to generate merit that indirectly benefits the ceased.
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