On the occasion of the Kan Ben and Pchum Ben festivals from the 1st to the 15th of the month of Phadrabot, corresponding to Monday, September 8th to 22nd, 2025, most of our citizens will prepare food and various offerings to offer to monks to dedicate the merits of the festival to their relatives during the seven seasons. But this year we should change our habits a little, lest the monks easily continue to make offerings to our nation and homeland.
In fact, during these 15 days, the monks who are pure take turns preparing food for the monks and for various ceremonies at the pagoda where they are pure, and some also prepare other foods to give to the monks. During this period, most monks will have abundant offerings and may even have more. Therefore, monks at many temples have also initiated almsgiving to continue distributing to relatives in the village, especially the poor and those who have no one to depend on.
In general, we often see during this time that food, such as rice, stews, sweets, and cakes, is too much, and if not managed, it becomes wasteful and wasteful. In such a situation, in order to prevent the ceremony from appearing wasteful and to make it easier for the monks and each temple committee to manage, we should offer dried, processed, or canned foods that can be stored for a long time.
These foods that can be stored for a long time, in addition to the monks keeping the food and providing it as well as supporting it in the temple, may also be easier for the monks to manage and continue to make alms, especially to the soldiers who are heroes on the front lines. These processed foods can be stored for a long time and are easy to transport, as the roads from communities, villages, and frontlines are generally far away, and the situation is difficult.
Please pay homage to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Regarding the Kanben and Pchumben festivals, our King has already issued a royal message to his compatriots. As a devout Buddhist, His Majesty King Samdech Preah Paramneath Norodom Sihamoni, in a royal decree dated September 6, recently stated that the Kanben and Pchum Ben festivals are major national traditional festivals that have been celebrated every year since ancient times.
His Majesty further emphasized that this festival is of great importance and significance for the Cambodian people who travel from near and far to their ancestral homelands to gather at their homes, temples, and monasteries to make offerings and perform rituals. Gratitude to those who are kind, dedication to the ancestors who have passed away. But His Majesty did not forget those who were kind to the nation and the homeland.
His Majesty encouraged and instructed our citizens to cultivate a sense of national unity, love, preserve, and protect traditional customs, and to promote Khmer civilization to be permanent and enduring.
His Majesty also mentioned that during this year’s Kan Ben and Pchum Ben festivals, the Cambodian people in every area have the opportunity to pay tribute to the Cambodian heroes. who sacrificed themselves in the cause of the mission to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Cambodia, fighting against the invading enemy, and may the souls of all national heroes go to the world of happiness without interruption.
His Majesty also prayed to the grace of Preah Ratanatra, to grant blessings, to offer greetings, to offer and to offer to all monks, to the highest veneration, to leaders and citizens of all classes, to share the Buddha’s blessings in all matters and to receive the highest worship and deepest love for him.
In particular, Samdech Preah Prom Ratanamoni Pin Sem Sereysuvanno, Supreme Councilor of the Supreme Council of the Supreme Council of the Supreme Council of the Buddhist Sangha of Cambodia, once said that in the cause of the nation, protecting the integrity of the territory, the brave soldiers have made great contributions to the nation and the homeland, which all citizens cannot forget.
Samdech Preah Prom Rattanamoni Pin Sem said that the sacrifices of the brave soldiers in the cause of the nation, protecting the integrity of the territory, are great contributions, which we cannot forget.
For the brave soldiers who sacrificed His Royal Highness Prince Rattanamoni Pin Sem also initiated the learning of rituals, chanting, performing Dhamma sermons and meditation, and the Dakshina Nuppana festival to dedicate merit to the souls of the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives on the battlefield for the national cause and to protect the integrity of the Khmer territory. He also demanded consideration for the families of the martyrs.
In short, so that our festival can be celebrated and we feel pure, in line with the long-standing tradition, this slight modification and change in customs is a gesture that can be beneficial both in terms of faith and society, and can also help support the brave soldiers who are performing national defense duties on the front lines at the tense border. In the past, our fellow citizens have helped a lot in this work, but if we can create this situation in such a way, it will be even more beneficial for our nation and homeland, and we can still maintain the practice of national traditions and customs.
