Pchum Ben

Remembering the dead

According to traditional Buddhist cosmology, the gates of the underworld open once every year under the rule of King Yama. During this time, ancestral spirits wander freely among the living. Cambodians observe this fortnight to bring comfort to forebears spanning up to seven generations. Some spirits are believed to receive a brief reprieve from punishment, while others gain release through the virtue of their living descendants. Even souls residing in peaceful realms are thought to receive the blessings of these ceremonies.

Rites at the temple

Monastic communities play a central role throughout the festival. Monks chant verses from the Pali scriptural canon continuously through the night without sleep. Lay practitioners visit their local temples early in the morning, carrying trays of home-cooked dishes. Giving sustenance to the monks produces merit, which families dedicate to their forebears. In many communities, people also toss balls of cooked rice through the air or scatter grains across open ground, believing the food directly feeds hungry spirits.

Traditions across communities

While Pchum Ben is celebrated across Cambodia, Khmer communities in neighbouring regions keep their own customs. Among the Khmer Krom and Khmer Surin, the festival is often called Sen Don Ta, meaning offerings for the ancestors. Scholars note that practices can differ even between rural villages. Some monasteries follow orthodox scriptural customs that focus strictly on offering food to monks, while others maintain popular folk practices of throwing rice directly to the wandering dead.

How Pchum Ben is kept

During the fifteen-day period, families wake before sunrise to prepare food and travel to local monasteries. Monks stay awake through the night to chant sacred Pali texts. Laypeople present cooked meals to the monastic community to earn spiritual credit on behalf of their ancestors. In many places, worshippers also form balls of rice and cast them into open fields or into the temple grounds before dawn to nourish wandering spirits directly. The ceremonies reach their peak on the final new moon day.

When and where

The festival lasts fifteen days, concluding on the final day of the tenth month in the Cambodian lunar calendar. This corresponds to the end of the Buddhist rainy-season retreat, Vassa, and usually takes place in September or October.

Pchum Ben is kept throughout Cambodia as a national public holiday. It is also observed by Khmer Krom and Khmer Surin communities in nearby regions, who hold similar ceremonies at their local Buddhist pagodas.

What Pchum Ben means

The festival centres on filial duty and compassion for the deceased. By providing food to monks and offering rice directly to spirits, Cambodians generate merit to ease the suffering of ancestors across seven generations. The rites offer comfort that departed relatives are remembered, nourished, and helped toward better rebirths or release from torment.

On the table

• Rice balls
• Rice

Days Pchum Ben is marked

Pchum Ben dates: 2026, 2027, 2028

This date follows the moon or a local calendar and can move by a day, so check with a local source nearer the time.

Questions people ask about Pchum Ben

See also

Ghost FestivalA full-moon night in the seventh lunar month for feeding ghosts and guiding souls homeLoy KrathongA Thai festival of floating leaf baskets on rivers to honor water and release negativity.Cambodian New YearA three-day harvest festival marking the traditional solar new year across CambodiaEid al-FitrThe feast that ends Ramadan, opened with morning prayers, sweets and visits home

Good reading and sources

• Pchum Ben on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.