On now: about 26 Sept to 10 Oct 2026
Pchum Ben
Fifteen days in September or October when Cambodians feed the spirits of their ancestors, and weddings are put off.
When is Pchum Ben in 2026?
Pchum Ben 2026 runs from 26 September to 10 October 2026. The date follows the moon or a local calendar, so it can move by a day. Other years: 2027, 15 to 29 September 2027; 2028, 2 to 16 September 2028.
About Pchum Ben
Pchum Ben, the festival of ancestors, lasts fifteen days in the waning half of the Khmer month of Photrobot and ends with three days of public holiday. Families go to the pagoda at dawn with rice balls and offerings for the spirits of seven generations of ancestors, and weddings and other joyous gatherings are not scheduled. The dates match the Hindu Pitru Paksha, and they are taken from the lunar calendar.
Pchum Ben dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Pchum Ben date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 26 September to 10 October 2026 |
| 2027 | 15 to 29 September 2027 |
| 2028 | 2 to 16 September 2028 |
This date follows the moon or a local calendar and can move by a day, so check with a local source nearer the time.
What is served
- rice balls
- sticky rice cakes
Also part of it, and being written: Pchum Ben (The Khmer festival of the dead.), Culture of Cambodia (The country whose customs these are.).
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background: "Pchum Ben" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.