Ancestors' Day in Cambodia

In Cambodia, respect for elders extends beyond holding the door for old ladies. Even the dead get their due during Prachum Benda, also called Ancestors' Day or Festival of the Dead, which kicked off last weekend. Cambodian Buddhists believe that the deceased stuck in the spirit world need their help so families deliver food to monks in an attempt to reach the souls of their ancestors and friends by virtue of the monks' sermons.

Everything climaxes on the 15th day of the waxing moon during the tenth month of the Khmer calendar, called "Pheaktrobotr." This year, it falls on September 30.

Metropolitan Khmers flood out of the capital city of Phnom Penh to spend time with relatives at their homes in the countryside. There, they cook, pray, cook and pray some more. At the end, the hope is that loved ones received the Karmic boost they needed for reincarnation.