Cambodia Khmer Culture
Mike never forgot the time when an invitation from Dr Sok Chenda was delivered to his home in Phnom Penh inviting him to stay with her in Samrong during Pchum Ben. During the festival that year, he visited the pagoda, which was near Chenda's house, almost every evening. Usually, by the time he arrived there, the monks had already said their prayers for the ancestors, but he was always in time to observe the people, mostly adults, distribute balls of rice in small banana leaf plates around the building.
On the fourteenth evening of the festival, Mike noticed that the pagoda, with its gold Buddhas and colourful gods, looked more beautiful than usual. Chenda explained that the people had helped the monks to clean and decorate it for the special prayers and ceremonies that would last all night. Mike stayed for a short time, but then went home to sleep. When he woke up early on the final day of the festival, he was surprised to see that nobody had yet returned from the pagoda. Eventually Chenda arrived home and had a short rest. Then, at lunchtime, she returned to the pagoda with special food for the monks to dedicate to the ancestors. After the dedication, in the early evening, more gifts were offered
to the ancestors in people's homes. Then, early the next morning, Chenda took Mike down to the river. By the time they reached it, most of the people from the village had already put their gifts into small boats made from banana trunks. As they pushed them out, Mike heard them say, "Please go back safely". Mike reflected how gentle these people's religion seemed and how lucky they were to have such strong faith in it.