Across Southeast Asia’s Theravada heartlands, honoring ancestors threads through daily life and major festivals, weaving Buddhism together with age-old family ties. In Cambodia’s Pchum Ben—or “Gathering of the Dead”—temples brim with devotees offering sticky rice, fruits and freshly fried fish to monks. As saffron-clad bhikkhus chant Paritta suttas, merit quietly flows back to forebears, a bridge between this world and the next.

In Thailand, spirit houses stand guard at homes and shops. Small altars attract incense, flowers and miniature foods, appeasing both ancestral spirits and local devas. During the annual “Wan Phra” observances—often aligned with Buddhist Lent—families send baskets of food to monks, specifying that the merit be dedicated to grandparents and great-grandparents. It’s a heartfelt way to say “gone but not forgotten,” folding the departed into the living’s acts of generosity.

Laos reflects a similar rhythm: Boun Pchum Ben in October sees streets lined with candle-lit processions snaking toward wat courtyards. Neighbors share rice porridge offerings in woven baskets, symbolically feeding hungry ghosts and lineage ancestors alike. Chanting circles echo through evening mist as villagers believe each respectful gesture tilts karmic balances in favor of loved ones long passed.

Even Vietnam—where Mahayana Buddhism mingles with Confucian filial piety—carries on Vu Lan, the Ghost Festival in August. Temples glow under red lanterns; laypeople float paper boats carrying incense to honor lost souls and ancestors. Though rituals vary, the underlying current remains the same: merit transference. By dedicating good deeds—whether a monastery donation, planting trees in a relative’s name, or simply lighting candles—practitioners keep ancestral spirits nourished and karma well tended.

In recent years, livestreamed ceremonies have sprouted across social media. From Bangkok to Siem Reap, devotees hit “share” on virtual pindapata offerings when travel is off the table. Even in a digital age, that ancient whisper endures: remembering ancestors through kindness, generosity and a shared cup of jasmine-scented rice.