All about Cambodia’s Ancestors’ Day.
Cambodia respectful on Ancestors DayCambodia Ancestor’s Day: September 24,2009
Ancestor’s Day is a Religious Holiday celebrated in Cambodia
In Cambodia, tributes for older people extends further than holding a door open for old ladies Even the dead get their due during Prachum Benda, also called Ancestors’ Day or Festival of the Dead.It is also known as the Spirits Day. Ancestors’ Day is always celebrated on the 15th day of the 10th month of the Khmer calendar.This is a time when the spirits of the dead ancestors walk the Earth and the living can ease their suffering by offering them food to eat.This year it will be celebrated on 24th September.
The history of Ancestors’ Day
According to the Buddhist religion (which is followed by some 80% of Cambodians), actions in our current life determine what kind of afterlife we will have. Punishment for misnomers will come in the afterlife. For instance, a small punishment might be to have a small mouth as a ghost. Small mouths being far harder to eat food from.Other, more severe, punishments could include being crippled or having no mouth at all.
During this time, the King Of Hell relases all spirits to roam the world. Those are the one that cannot get into heaven or to be re-incarnated.These spirits are very afraid of light. The spirits are also pretty ugly, having suffered terribly in a state of pergatory.
For fifteen days, the spirits will roam around looking for food – they can usually find it in Pagodas where such food is left for them.They can only receive what is sent to them as sharing is not a habit among them. As a consequence, spirits without anything to eat are likely to place a spell or curse on their families. Because the spirit will be angry, the curse is rarely likely to be somethin good – it may even result in a whole year’s bad luck.Due to this reason, each family’s representative always makes it to the pagoda no matter how busy or poor he or she is.
Traditions and customs
The festival is celebrated in quite an original way. The whole event lasts over two weeks.During Dak Ben, the neighborhood of a pagoda is divided into 14 groups. The community then shares the duties of maintaining the Pagoda for this time with one party responsible for a separate area.Despite the division, crossing from one group to another is still allowed and welcomed.Each day the people responsible bring Bay Ben (fragrant sticky rice cooked with coconut milk), food and some other offerings to the pagoda to offer to the monks.The last day Pchum Ben is the most auspicious day of the event where everyone celebrates, meets and has fun.
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