Every September Cambodians around the country celebrate the Festival of the Dead.
Hundreds gather at temples before dawn with offerings of rice balls, small cakes and water which are given to the monks and also dropped on the ground around the temple for the spirits.
Traditions say that some family members become evil spirits after they die because of the bad things they did while alive.
[Prak Bora, Monk]:
"Our people feel pity towards the evil spirits who cannot get good food through the monks’ offerings, therefore they have this ceremony before sunrise to offer food to them so they can have the food to eat."
[Chuop Khon, Festival Participant]:
"I hope what I offered today gets to those who died and may they all live in peace and bless us with good luck.”
Other families brought big cakes, drinks and money to offer to the spirits that roam in daylight.
[Meak Diep, Festival Participant]:
"When the monk offers the food, it gets to our relatives who have died. I truly believe that."
Although the war-scarred nation's annual Festival of the Dead honors all ancestors, it has taken on added significance since the fall of the Khmer Rouge which inflicted years of violence onto Cambodians during the late 70s. About a third of the Cambodian population died.
The 2-week-long festival runs through October 8th.
No comments:
Post a Comment