Pchum Ben (All Souls Day) 18-20 September 2009

Beginning the Celebration

Pchum Ben is one of the three major times of celebration for Cambodian people. Preceding it in the calendar is the Khmer New Year, THE biggest festival of the year, occurring in April; and following it in November is the Water Festival. Each of the three has its own special flavor, ceremonies, and migrations of people from one part of the country to another. Pchum Ben is the most spiritual of the three festivals. It is equivalent to All Souls Day in the Christian calendar of the West, a time in which deceased ancestors are remembered and their spirits honored by visits to pagodas and gifts to the monks.
	Pchum Ben is celebrated at the time of the new moon in September and actually extends a week prior to and a week beyond the new moon. These pictures are from the beginning of the remembrance period, five days before the official public holidays. These two women are dressed traditionally for a Buddhist ceremony and are making their way to a pagoda.
	Certain types of flowers are traditional on Buddhist festivals and at Pchum Ben. These fragrant sprays are sold in many of the regular markets.
	The festive spirit greets the oncomer long before reaching the main gate of the pagoda. Most pagodas are in compounds about a block square, and the front side is decorated with Buddhist and Cambodian flags along the main street.
	At the main gate, flower sellers approach everyone who hasn't stopped at a market on the way, making possible last-minutes purchases.
	Inside the pagoda, the main buildings are decorated colorfully for the occasion. This year the official public holidays for Pchum Ben are September 18-20.