Cambodia respectful on Ancestors DayCambodia Ancestor’s Day: September 24,2009
Ancestor’s Day is a Religious Holiday celebrated in Cambodia
In Cambodia, tributes for elders extends further than holding a door open for old ladies In Cambodia, even the dead are given their own day, which is called Ancestor’s Day. The festival is also known as Spirits Day.It is celebrated on the fifteenth day, of the tenth month, of the Khmer calendar marks the Pchum Ben festival. The idea is that dead elders ancestors come to walk the earth again on this day, and need to be given sustenence during their visit.This year it will be celebrated on 24th September.
Understanding the history of Dead Spirits Day
According to the most popular faith in Cambodia – Buddhism – what action we take in this life will determine what kind of life we’ll have in the next. If for instance, a minor sin is commited in life, this will be punished with a relatively small punishment in the afterlife – such as being given a small mouth as a ghost. Small mouths being far harder to eat food from. Worse, if a larger lapse is made during life, then a punishment such as being permenantly crippled as a ghost or having no mouth at all might apply.
During this time, the King Of Hell relases all spirits to roam the world. Those are the one that cannot get into heaven or to be re-incarnated. Those roaming spirits are not afraid of the light. The spirits are also pretty ugly, having suffered terribly in a state of pergatory.
For the whole 15 days, they will search all the pagodas in the neighbourhood of their relatives places for food dedicated to them. Because the Spirits do not like to share, they will only eat what has been left for them.If they cannot find any offerings, these spirits will cast a spell or curse their relatives. Because the spirit will be angry, the curse is rarely likely to be somethin good – it may even result in a whole year’s bad luck.Due to this reason, each family’s representative always makes it to the pagoda no matter how busy or poor he or she is.
Cambodian Ancestor’s Day Traditions, Customs and Activities
The Cambodians celebrate this festival in a unique and original fashion.{ It is a 15 day long event.| The whole event lasts over two weeks.| The festival actually lasts a total of fifteen days.Each of the first 14 days is called Dak Ben while the last day Pchum Ben.During Dak Ben, the neighborhood of a pagoda is divided into 14 groups. The community then shares the duties of maintaining the Pagoda for this time with one party responsible for a separate area. Crossing from one group to another is permissable under the system. Those responsible on the day will bring sticky rice and coconut milk as an offering for the spirits. On the 15th day, the community celebrates and uses the time to lets its hair down.
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