Lotus Flowers and Joss Sticks

Cambodians are celebrating the arrival of the new moon at a buddhist temple in Phnom Penh.

While I was walking around the morning market in Phnom Penh on June 1st I noticed several young kids selling lotus flowers and jasmine garlands. Having been in Laos a week earlier, where the new moon was celebrated, I could not imagine that there would be another celebration. But certainly selling lotus flowers was indicating that there was another buddhist celebration going on. And I found out that Cambodians were celebrating the quarter moon that day. So where would all the flowers and jasmine garlands go to the kids were selling on the market ?…..

Shortly afterwards I was walking along the Mekong River next to the Royal Palace and came along this little temple, which was very busy from the early hours on.

People were lining up to get inside, other were waiting with first prayers on a platform in front while music was being played behind them.

The coconut arrangement in front of them were sold in order to offer them inside the temple. But of course there were street vendors around who offered fruit baskets or just a lotus flower with incense for a few cents.


Before entering the temple itself people were lightning candles to be left on little plattform. Then entering the temple itself offerings were passed on some priests waiting inside next to a buddha statue.Afterwards they continued with their prayers.



With so many people attending and offerings given the priests had to empty the flower vases and the jasmine garlands put around the fingers of the buddha statue once in a while and throw the out of the back window.

Sometimes fruits were given away to poor kids begging for them; other were dismantling the coconut arrangements with joss sticks to put them into their bags, maybe to sell them again at a different place.So these offerings  served for good purpose already in this life !

Leaving the tempel many sprinkled water on their hands and heads. Because it happened after prayers it is supposed to be symbol of new life rather than cleansing the body for prayer because this would have happened before entering the temple. Some also bought little caged birds to set them free at the river, also a symbol of new life.


I came back later the day and celebrations still were going on with the music constantly playing. There was a joyful atmosphere with young children running around. But poverty was only a few steps away, where others were taking a nap in the shade on this very hot day.

Celebrations like this makes you curious to find out more about buddhist rituals. Certainly all the offerings, flower arrangements and rituals have a meaning and I leave it up to the reader to deepen this further following their own interest. I was happy to observe this lively celebration because it showed how deeply rooted these buddhist rituals still are in the daily lives of the cambodian people.