The Ghost Festival

You have probably heard of the Chinese Lunar New Year. Have you also heard about the less well-known Hungry Ghost Festival? Just as Americans have Halloween, the Chinese have their version of a ghost festival too.

Celebrated mostly in South China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and especially in Singapore and Malaysia, the Hungry Ghost festival is a mixed Taoist/ folklore occasion that is taken very seriously by the Chinese. This festival falls on the 7th month of the Lunar Year and is believed by the Chinese that during this month, the gates of hell are opened to let out the hungry ghosts who then wander to seek food on Earth.

The Festival Celebration: Filial Chinese families would celebrate this festival to remember their dead family members and pay tribute to them. The living family would prepare a sumptuous meal for the ‘hungry ghosts’. The Chinese feel that they have to satisfy the ghosts in order to get good fortune and luck in their lives.

During the 7th month celebrations, the Chinese offer prayers to the deceased relatives, burn joss sticks, paper money and offer food. These events are always held at night and are loud affairs with singing, operas, dances all performed at super high volume.

There is a belief that this loud entertainment would attract and please those wandering ghosts. The entire show may be filled with living audience but take note that the front row seats are always left empty for... you guess it, the unseen ghosts! Woe to the ignorant who take up the coveted front seats during the show!

Offerings to the Dead The Chinese also do a lot of offerings to the deceased. These offerings are made by burning fake money notes, which are also known as ‘hell money’ and even paper television or radio sets. Some families also burn paper houses & cars to give to their dead relatives. The Chinese feel that these offerings reach the ghosts and help them live comfortably in their new world.

The Chinese regard the 15th day of the 7th Lunar month as an important date to give a feast to the ghosts. On this date, the family will cook a lot of dishes and offer them to the deceased. This is done to please the ghosts and also to gain good luck for the family.

15 days after the feast, the festival will be over, as the Chinese believe that the ghosts will return back to where they come from after a month of 'merry-making'. That is.... until the next Lunar 7th month. Source- culture.net/html/hungry_ghost_festival.html