A Cambodia healing festival has particular resonance during a year of loss

In Cambodia, Bangsokol is a Buddhist ceremony held after someone passes away. A white shroud is placed over the body and then removed to represent the transmigration of the spirit.

2020 has been a year where more than a million people have died.

Many were isolated in hospital beds, communicating with loved ones through a screen during their final moments. Decades ago, in the killing fields of Cambodia during the late 1970s, a different wave of death took place as the Khmer Rouge oversaw the genocide of millions.

Death became a familiar spectre for that nation, and this year - for the world. We as humans grasp for our rituals, seeking to make sense of loss and attempting to mourn together while separate.

In full here.