Next week, there will be a full week Pchum Ben festival & celebration throughout Cambodia. I wrote an article before about the celebration: Pjum Ben festival. It is also known as the ancestors’ festival, a religious festival celebrated by Buddhists, celebrated in many countries.
During Buddhist Lent [or Rains Retreat known as The Vassa, the three-month annual retreat observed by Theravada practitioners. It is practiced annually during the wet or rainy season. The Vassa lasts for three lunar months, usually from July to October.], the monks stay [standby] in the temple for 3 months, villagers take turn to offer food and drink to the monks who standby at the temple. It must be the longest festivals in Cambodia, lasting for 15 days with 14 days is Dak Ben days and 1 last day is Pchum Ben day (3days Public holiday in the calendar) a good time for family reunion and the return hometown*.*It is time for families gathering, food preparation, tradition and religion.
Food are prepared specially for the monks and also for offering to the death. That includes meal, sweets and cakes. The cakes that are popular for this event is Nom Ansom and the food usually the Red Curry.
Young people that come to work in town would go back home with present like Food, items or money pocket to elder relatives. That’s the tradition.
You might visit homes of relatives or go to the temple together. After that, you choose to eat at one of the relatives’ house with food you cook from your own home.
Some families would invite the monks to come home and host a small ritual for “food offering ritual” while other families nearby also join
Few years back when there is no Covid-19, my family would cook big potion of food and invite our relatives to come and eat at our home.
I found that this tradition helps us feel closed with one another. Sadly, with Covid-19, it restricts us not to go to the temple or gathering.
Yes @TusharSuradkar in india it’s similar festival as @Sophia_Cambodia has described. In India we call it as Varsha Vaas means during rainy season (Ashadhi full moon to Ashwin full moon) Monks should live in the Vihaar or in ancient times they had to live in caves and learn the Buddha teaching more intensively. It’s very similar as described in the main post. Here in Mumbai we attend the lectures arranged by our nearest Vihaar on Buddha’s life, teachings, happiness etc on every Sunday as per directives by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. He said every Sunday we must visit Vihaar and learn Dhamma well. Vihaar committee arranges snacks and sweets. In sweet we always get Kheer as Sujata offered a Kheer to Siddharth Gautam while he was very weak due to long meditation to find the reason of Grief in our life. This incident was happened in this period only. And at last on Ashwin pornima i.e. Ashok Vijayadashami Buddha gave his first teaching. This day is celebrated as Dhamma Chakra Pravartan Din. By taking reference of this day Dr. Babasaheb with his more than 5 lakhs followers had converted to Buddhism and Dhamma spreaded in india on large scale. Due to pandemic now Sunday lectures are being organised online here.
Thank you very much my dear @helga19 long time I have never heard from you. How are you doing so far?
I miss seeing you around - I hope things are going well with you.
Sorry to reply you late, I was away to my hometown with limited access to the Connect. Yes, I remember you said you had it in Vietnam before. Yes, on festivals or ocassions, we would make these cakes.
Hola @Sophia_Cambodia al ver la primer fotografía recordé una publicación tuya, durante, o muy poco después de tu viaje de trabajo, con toda la información agregada, y tus comentarios, nos permite conocer otra tradición, que, nosotros, los occidentales, desconocíamos completamente.
