Cambodia – P’Chum Ben (Festival of the dead)
“This morning I woke up at 630am so that I could join the children and staff for a visit to the nearby monastery. In Cambodia, the local people call it ‘Pagoda’ and the word is used slightly differently from the way we use it. Here, the monks live in these pagodas and Buddhists pay a visit to ofer food to monks and pray to ancestors for health, happiness and good luck, much like the Buddhists who go to the temples back home. Buddhism is the state religion and most Khmers practice Theravada Buddhism – where attaining nirvana is the ultimate goal.
If you think this was an excursion for the kids, you’re dead wrong. Today is the 4th day of the P’Chum Ben (Festival of the dead) which falls in Sept/Oct annually. It’s similar to our Qing Ming Festival. P’Chum Ben lasts for 15 days and during this period the locals pay respects to their deceased relatives through offerings and prayers at wats. They also offer food and donations to the monks. The only reason why these 80 kids get to go is because they have to pay respects to their deceased parents. These children from FLOW are all so young, from 7 to 18, and they’ve lost their parents at a young age. When I spoke to them yesterday about today’s visit, they told me they “go to the pagoda because my parents die”. More than one told me the exact same thing with a straight face. I had to avoid showing any shock or sympathy on my face – that would be the last thing they need. So I just comfort them by holding their hand or smile and pat their backs. They were very excited that I was joining them though.”
-Author Unknown
