On the occasion of the Kanben Festival and the Pchum Ben Festival from the 1st to the 15th of the month of Bhadrabot, corresponding to Monday, September 8th to 22nd, 2025, most of our citizens will prepare food and various offerings to offer to the 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 Chre Thla take turns preparing food for the monks and other ceremonies at the pagoda where they are Chre Thla. And some people also prepare other foods to give to the monks. During this period, most monks will have an abundance of food and may even have more. Therefore, many monks at the pagoda have also initiated almsgiving to continue to distribute to relatives in the village, especially the poor and those who have no one to depend on.
In general, we often see during this period that food, such as rice, stews, sweets, and cakes, is too much, and if it is not managed, it becomes wasteful, wasted, and useless. 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 long and the conditions are difficult.
Please pay homage to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Regarding the alms-giving and Pchum Ben festivals, our King has already issued a royal message to his compatriots. As a person who is a devout Buddhist, His Majesty King Samdech Preah Paramneath Norodom Sihamoni, in a royal decree dated September 6, recently stated that the Kanben and Pchumben festivals are major national traditional festivals that have been celebrated every year since ancient times.
His Holiness further highlighted that this festival is of great importance and significance for the Khmer people who travel from near and far to their ancestral homeland to gather at their homes, temples, and monasteries to make offerings and express gratitude to those who have been kind and to dedicate merit to their ancestors who have passed away. However, His Holiness did not forget those who have been kind to the nation and the homeland.
His Majesty the King encouraged and instructed our citizens to cultivate a spirit of national unity, love, preserve, and protect traditional customs, and to promote Khmer civilization to be sustainable and enduring. He further stated that during this year’s Kan Ben and Pchum Ben festivals, the Cambodian people at all levels 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, to fight against the invading enemy, and to pray that the souls of all national heroes may rest in peace.
His Majesty also prayed to the grace of the Rattanatraya, and offered blessings, greetings, and offerings to all monks, all venerable dignitaries, leaders, and citizens of all classes. May you be blessed with all the blessings of the Buddha and receive the highest worship and deepest love for Him. In particular, His Holiness Preah Promrattanamoni Pin Sem Sereysuvanno, Supreme Advisor to the Supreme Council of Buddhist Monks and President of the Cambodian Buddhist Sangha, once said that in the cause of the nation, protecting the integrity of the land, you are a heroic soldier, with great gratitude to the nation and the homeland, which all citizens cannot forget.
Samdech Preah Prom Rattanamoni Pin Sem said that the sacrifice of the military heroes in the cause of the nation, protecting the integrity of the territory, is very important and we cannot forget it. For the fallen military heroes, Samdech Preah Prom 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 military heroes who sacrificed their lives on the battlefield in the cause of the nation, protecting 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 habits 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 border, which is currently under tension. In the past, fellow citizens have helped a lot in this task, 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.
