You Should Know About Pchum Ben, Cambodia's Festival for the Ancestors

What is Pchum Ben?

Pchum Ben (ភ្ជុំបិណ្ឌ) is Cambodia's festival for the dead and one of the most important dates in the Khmer year. The name roughly means "gathering of rice balls." Cambodians believe that during these two weeks, the spirits of ancestors, going back as many as seven generations, return to look for their families. The living bring food to the pagoda so no spirit goes hungry and so monks can pass on the merit.

It isn't a party. It's more like a long family reunion that includes people who are no longer here.

When is Pchum Ben in 2026?

The festival follows the Khmer lunar calendar, so the dates change every year. In 2026:

• Kan Ben (the first 14 days) runs from late September into October. Families take turns bringing food to their local pagoda.

• Pchum Ben Day, the 15th and biggest day, falls within the national holiday.

• The public holiday is October 10–12. Expect the most closures and the fullest pagodas on these three days.

What you'll see at the pagoda?

Come early. Well before sunrise, families arrive with bay ben (បាយបិណ្ឌ), balls of sticky rice, sometimes mixed with sesame or coconut. They walk around the prayer hall and toss the rice into the dark for spirits who have no family left to feed them. Monks chant in Pali, incense drifts through the courtyard, and many Cambodians wear white or light colors.

Later in the morning, families offer food to the monks, often dishes they have cooked at home. By midday, the courtyards empty out and people go home to eat together.

How to join in respectfully?

Visitors are generally welcome to watch quietly. A few things make all the difference:

• Cover your shoulders and knees. White or muted colors fit in best, but modest is what matters.

• Take off your shoes before you step into the prayer hall, and sit with your feet tucked to the side, away from the Buddha and the monks.

• Hand over an offering with both hands, with a small bow. Women place food or gifts for monks on the tray or cloth in front of them rather than handing them over directly.

• Stand at the edge during the rice-tossing, not in the middle of it, and ask before you photograph anyone.

• A small donation is welcome but never required. Look for the offering box.

For the everyday version of these customs, read our Cambodian Etiquette 101. (link: /blog/cambodian-etiquette-101)

"It isn't a show for visitors. But a quiet, respectful guest is always welcome."

What's open, and what isn't?

Pchum Ben is when Cambodians go home. Many people travel back to their home provinces, so plan around the public holiday:

• Buses and taxis fill up fast in the days before October 10. Book any intercity travel early.

• Banks, government offices and many local shops and markets close for part or all of the holiday. Carry enough cash in advance.

• The Angkor temples stay open, and many restaurants in Siem Reap's tourist areas keep serving.

• Your first pre-dawn pagoda visit is worth an alarm. Ask our Guest Experience Specialist which nearby pagoda to try and when to arrive.

Four words to know?

• Pchum Ben: the festival itself, "gathering of rice balls"

• Kan Ben: the first fourteen days, when families take turns at the pagoda

• Bay ben: the sticky-rice balls offered to the spirits

• Sok sabay? (សុខសប្បាយ): "Are you well?", a warm way to greet the families you meet