Bonn Kathen
Bonn Kathen is one of the religious festivals for Khmer people and it's the the end of Buddhist Lent. The monks stay for three months in a retreat inside a pagoda and at the end the people all over the country go to local temple to offer them gifts.
Photo by © Chiara Canova
Event Four
Pchum Ben, also known as the Festival of the Ancestors, is a 15-day Buddhist festival in Cambodia that honors ancestors and the dead:
Dates Pchum Ben takes place at the end of Buddhist Lent, Vassa, on the 15th day of the tenth month in the Khmer calendar.
Activities During the first 14 days, called Kan Ben, Cambodians visit pagodas and offer food, rice, and prayers to monks. On the 15th day, Pchum Ben Day, Cambodians believe the gates of the underworld open, allowing spirits to receive food and blessings.
Significance Pchum Ben is a time for families to gather and remember their deceased. Cambodians believe that offerings made during Pchum Ben ease the suffering of spirits and grant them peace.
Traditions Children prepare lunch for their parents before visiting the pagoda. Cambodians hold their parents in high regard and believe that making them happy will bring happiness into their lives.
Food Cambodians make large quantities of food to share, especially during the last three days of Pchum Ben. These foods include rice cakes that can take weeks to prepare.
Monks Monks chant when accepting offerings and call out the spirits of ancestors.
Chol Vossa Festival
in July marks the start of the three-month monk retreat during the rainy season.
Vesak Bochea
Vesak Bochea Day, also known as Buddha Day, is one of the most important ceremonies for Buddhists throughout the world. The day commemorates the birth, enlightenment and nirvana of Siddharta Gautama Shakyamuni Buddha.
Khmer New Year (Choul Chnam Thmey)
Cambodian New Year, also known as Chol Chnam Thmey in Khmer, is the most important holiday in the Cambodian calendar. This annual event takes place in April and the festivities last for three days, from April 14 to 16. It is a celebration that is both convivial and spiritual and has great cultural importance for the country. In this article, you will learn about the origin of this holiday, as well as the traditions and celebrations associated with the Cambodian New Year.
