A Walkthrough of Pchum Ben

As we approach the end of this one-week holiday, here is a short walkthrough of the history of Pchum Ben that you might want to know more about!

It's been a long and stressful year, and we're already at the tipping point of finishing the first quarter! Thankfully, Pchum ben came in clutch to give us a quick rest. Pchum ben isn't just a God-sent one week break to take our mind off of school though, there's a much greater and deeper meaning to it! If you're Cambodian or have lived here for a long time, this holiday might not be such an unfamiliar experience for you; however, for those who are new to it, this article might just be what you need to familiarize yourself with the country's culture!

What exactly is Pchum Ben?

Pchum Ben is a national Buddhist holiday in Cambodia that is celebrated on the 15th day of the 10th Khmer month called the 'Brochum Ben' or 'Pchum Ben Day.' In English, 'Pchum/Brochum' means 'a meeting or gathering' and 'Ben' means 'a ball of something' (such as rice or meat.) Together, we can infer that Pchum Ben is another way of saying 'a meeting or gathering for a ball of food.'

So as you might have guessed, Pchum Ben, a Buddhist holiday, is not only a time for Khmer people to meet up but is also a time for people to give gifts of food and candles to Buddhist monks. If you've ever seen a row of orange-robed monks passing by the streets receiving rice in their transportable "pots," that's what Pchum Ben is all about! At night, these Buddhist monks recite a protective prayer, and the Cambodian artists come out to play their traditional music (e.g. Yike and Lakhon Basac.) Lasting for 15 days, villagers from all around come together to prepare the pagoda for their village the night before their celebration.

So every year, the starting and ending point of Pchum Ben changes according to the Khmer calendar. For instance, it started on the 16th of September last year; this year, it got pushed back to the 5th of October. Nonetheless, the deep meaning embedded with the Khmer festival remains the same throughout the treadmill of time.

Religious Beliefs

Personally, what I found interesting about Pchum Ben and the Khmer people's religious beliefs was the fact that they believed in the afterlife! It might not be as fancy as the Ancient Egyptians with their rich tapestries and pyramids, but it is definitely confirmed that they believe in the existence of ghosts and spirits. Basically, the Pchum Ben dates back to the Angkorian era where the dominant religion was Animism. This is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Over time, the festival's traditions were influenced by Buddhist ideas which caused the festival to turn into a time of "feeding the hungry ghosts."

It is believed that in the first 15 days of the heaviest rainy period (Pheakta Both), the devil would release the ghosts (their ancestors) to find their relatives to receive food. Here, there are four different, identified types of ghosts: ​​those eating pus and blood, burning ghosts who are always hot and hungry, and the Pakrakteaktopak Chivi, who can receive food through the monks. The remaining category of ghosts is known to be forbidden from receiving food due to their heavy levels of sin. Nonetheless, for those who can, balls of rice called the Bay ben are offered to the ghosts at dawn.

- Irene A.