Kathin Festival
(Robe offering ceremony)
Kathin is a Buddhist festival that takes place during the months of October and November. Kathin occurs at the end of the Vassa (Rains Retreat). For the duration of Vassa, the residents of the monastery have been obliged by their Rule not to travel unless absolutely necessary. In some monasteries, monks dedicate the Vassa to intensive meditation, practice self-discipline, and share the teaching with the lay community. Kathin marks the emergence of monks from retreat and it is a time of giving, for the laity to express gratitude to monks and nuns for their teaching and guidance. These ceremonies have continued through the ages and have evolved from culture to culture in Cambodia, Thai, Lao, and Burma.
Today in Cambodia, the Kathin ceremony provides one of the most popular occasions for merit-making. The Buddhist people celebrate this robe-offering ceremony with profound respect and devotion to the monks, who have just spent three months in the monastery observing the Vassa.
In rural Cambodia, everybody in a village will participate in the Kathin ceremony as a community activity which may last anywhere from one day to as many as three days.
On the day of the festival people bring donations to temples, especially new robes and other basic necessities to the monks, thereby bringing spiritual merit to all participants.
Kathin ceremony promotes generosity and selflessness. It also provides an opportunity to the people to gain spirituality.