Hungry Ghost Festival in S - 7th Lunar Month For the Chinese, the month of the Hungry Ghosts - usually in the month of August - is the most inauspicious time of the year. Taoists believe that the gates of Hell are opened at this time, and the spirits of the departed wander freely about the earth.
Origin Mulian, a filial son, finds only his father enjoying a comfortable life in Heaven. After searching, he finds his mother in the deepest level of hell paying for the evil deeds performed in her previous life. He saw that his mother had nothing to eat and tried to feed her, but the other hungry ghosts who had no one to remember them, snatched the food away. Mu Lian a devout Buddhist monk, appealed to the Buddha to save his mother. Buddha instructed him to prepare all kinds of food and make offerings to the ghosts on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month. Mu Lian did so and found that because the other spirits were satisfied with his offering, they did not bother his mother. Thus began the tradition of offering food to spirits during the Hungry Ghost Festival.
Customs As it is believed that the ghosts can become bad-tempered and destructive during their time on earth, offerings must be made to them. Besides burning huge joss-sticks and candles, Taoist believers offer cakes, fruits and sometimes an entire banquet to appease the spirits. Fake paper money - and sometimes even fake paper cars, houses and mobile phones - are burnt so that the dead spirits will be able to enjoy these comforts in the afterlife. These offerings are usually placed in a safe place outdoors to "bribe" the ghosts to not enter their homes. The community also comes together to organise outdoor street shows, which are meant to entertain the ghosts, in different neighbourhoods. These shows include Chinese opera and Ge Tai (singing performances), which in more recent years have taken the form of pop concerts. The celebration usually also includes a dinner for residents, the highlight being the auction of a wide range of items that have been donated by the community. The main reason for the auction is so that funds can be raised to make offerings to those spirits who have no one left in the living world to look after them. The money raised during the auction also goes to charity and subsidise the following year's celebration.
In summary, this is a time when the air is heavy with tradition and superstition (and smoke). Here are a few superstitions associated with the Hungry Ghost Festival. • Don't move, renovate or marry during this period as it is considered inauspicious. • Stay away from swimming during the 7th month as it is believed that the water spirits will drag little children into the water and drown them. • Avoid old trees. It is believed that the spirits will hide there. • Children are advised to return home early and not to wander around alone at night when wandering ghosts might possess them.
