16 Macabre Cultural Festivals in History that Make Halloween Look Like Child’s Play

7. Cambodia – Pchum Ben

Pchum Ben is a fifteen-day long holiday in Cambodia that pays respect to ancestors. The Khmer name of the holiday translates to “Ancestor’s Day.” The dates of the observance shift somewhat each year, but the festival typically ends in early October. Practitioners pay respects to ancestors as far as seven generations back through food offerings and other rituals including throwing rice into open fields in the belief it will transfer from the living to the dead.

Unlike many of the holidays that share either religious or historical roots with other similar festivals, Pchum Ben is considered unique to Cambodia. While certain elements are shared with festivals in Sri Lanka or Taiwan, the overall holiday is unique. One particularly exciting custom is the chanting undertaken by monks on the night before the final day of the festival.

On the penultimate night of the festival, monks take up a chant that lasts through the night. The monks do not sleep; they keep up the chanting from dawn until dusk. This chanting is believed to signify the opening of the gates of hell. The opening of the gates is an occurrence that happens only once a year and is linked to the activity of the Hindu deity of death Yamaraja.