In the first days of July, depending on the Buddhist calendar, people of Cambodia, Laos, Burma and other countries of the Hinayana Buddhism are celebrating the beginning of the Buddhist lent, the "Phansa", which means also "year" or "season". This year, this falls on July 7th. The Buddhist lent usually announced the start of the rainy season but climate change has a bit upset the tradition. Our elders explained to us that during the "phansa", it means the three months of the rainy season, we were to stay in a specific place, not allowed to spend a night outside home and to disturb the quietness of the pagodas as the monks are in retreat and have to medidate. A Buddhist celebration would mark the beginning of the Phansa and the retreat of the monks.

The reason for the retreat is actually very practical. Usually monks would go out from one house to another for the morning alms or to perform ceremonies. They would also go to far away villages to help other communities and they do not have the time neither to rest, to medidate or study the religious texts. The rainy season used to create difficulties in their travel. Moreover, it is also the season for farmers to plant rice and a long time ago, monks had to cross the ricefields to go from one place to another and were walking on the young rice plants. That's why monks are going into retreat every year during the rainy season.

The ceremony of the beginning of the Phansa consists of a parade of candle trees, of offerings of clothes and towels for the rainy season. At the end of the three months, the Buddhist population will also celebrate the end of the Buddhist lent.

The beginning of the Buddhist lent falls in the 8th month of the luni-solar Buddhist caldendar.