This annual commemoration of the dead is one of the most important events in the Khmer Buddhist calendar. In the days leading up to the full moon of Bonn PChum Ben, Buddhists are meant to visit their temples and make offerings (bens) in memory of their dead relatives. On the day of the full moon, the temples come to life with music and celebrations in honor of the dead. If relatives of the departed do not make offerings, it is said that the dead will not be able to rest in the forthcoming year.
The Spirits Commemoration Festival spans 15 days and is divided into two parts.
- The first 14 days of this Buddhist festival are called Bonn Dak Ben — the offering of food to the monks.
- The 15th day of the ceremony — the full moon — is called Bonn Pchum Ben , the collection of Bens (offerings).
Khmers believe that the souls of the dead will come to surrounding pagodas, hoping to receive offerings from their relatives or descendants through the prayers recited by the Buddhist monks.
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