Cambodians love festivals and holidays, which are usually centered around food and visits from extended family (including ancestors). Cambodia has more national holidays than any other country (although many Cambodians work at least a half-day on Saturdays). In addition to Khmer religious festivals and various international holidays, many Cambodians claim Chinese ancestry and also celebrate Chinese holidays. For someone not attuned to the lunar schedule, its always a surprise to wake up your landlord and neighbors burning red and yellow paper printed with Chinese characters in homemade firepits on the side of the road, giving the morning commute a slightly ominous haziness and acrid smell.
The top photo is from my neighbor burning a paper lantern with auspicious phrases from the Chinese Moon Festival at the end of September. I asked my neighbor's kids (shown in the 2nd photo) to explain the holiday to me: "Well, we eat mooncake and our parents let us play late at night. And then you look up at the moon and see how it looks." There you have it! Not coincidentally, the following day kicks off Pchum Ben, a 15 day Khmer-Buddhist holiday honoring ancestors.
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