Pchum Ben is a unique Buddhist holiday celebrated in Cambodia. This is one of the longest and most important festivals, lasting for fifteen days in the tenth month of the Khmer calendar, roughly from the end of September to the beginning of October. The holiday is dedicated to blessing the spirits of the dead and is a time for Cambodians to pay their respects to deceased relatives of up to 7 generations.
The main festivities occur over the course of the final three days, where temples overflow with people who offer food and gifts to the monks to earn merit. The literal translation of Pchum Ben means 'Ancestors' Day' or 'Soul Day'. This traditional ceremony is led by Buddhist monks who recite the sutras in Pali language, and the prayers and rituals are intended to ease the suffering of deceased relatives and to move the deceased's spirit into a new life cycle.
The main practice during Pchum Ben involves throwing balls of sticky rice, known as 'Bey Ben'. These are prepared and cooked the night before in order to be distributed in the early hours of the morning. It is believed that the hungry ghosts can eat this food, enabling them to end their period of penance and reincarnate into a new life. The holiday concludes with visits to the temples by families bearing large plates of rice, other food, and gifts for the monks, this practice aims to transfer merits to the deceased.