Cambodia Marks the Beginning of the Religious Pchum Ben Festival PHNOM PENH—Families gather at the Stung Meanchey pagoda before dawn, carrying steamed sticky rice balls (Bay Ben) made of sticky rice steamed with sesame seeds and coconut shreds and water to offer to the ghosts and wandering spirits of ancestors. The Cambodian people still maintain this practice, hoping to preserve the tradition for future generations. According to tradition, casting Bay Ben before sunrise can guide ancestors back