2003 Pchum Ben ceremony at Wat Willow (Khemara Buddhikaram). A group of women have gathered to prepare special offerings. They are wearing white to indicate they have taken vows to follow the five Buddhist precepts for a period of time. The five precepts are: do not kill, do not steal, do not engage in sexual misconduct, do not lie, and do not drink intoxicants. The orange, multicolored, and white “flags” on the silver platter are small versions of the much larger flags hung outside a house during a funeral.
2012 Pchum Ben observance at Wat Samaki in Long Beach, CA. Families bring food to the temple as an offering to the monks and their family’s ancestors. Family members place samples of food in small bowls for the monks and ancestors to enjoy.
2012 Pchum Ben observance at Wat Samaki in Long Beach, CA. Food brought to the temple for the ancestors is shared with the monks. A sample from everything brought by the families is placed on a table for the monks and ancestors to enjoy.
Cambodian New Year celebrations in Long Beach include performances of traditional dance and music. This man is dressed to perform with the Chhayam troupe. Chhayam is a lively call and response dance using primarily percussion instruments.
Two men prepare to perform Chhayam at a Khmer New Year celebration, a lively call and response dance performance using primarily percussion instruments.
Two men prepare to perform Chhayam, a lively call and response dance performance using primarily percussion instruments. The banner on the left has an image of the Buddha and reads Sua Sdey Chhnam Tmey (Entering the New Year). The banner to the right shows the New Year Angel. Each year a new angel arrives to protect and bring blessings to the people.
