Posted by The Hungry Ghost Festival, or zhongyuan jie in Chinese, is a traditional Taoist and Buddhist holiday that marks the opening of the Gates of Hell. It is held in some Asian countries, such as China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan. This is when ghosts, spirits, and even dead relatives take a “vacation” in the human world, wandering around looking for food and entertainment or stopping by to see the living.
The Chinese calendar says the festival is on the 15th night of the seventh month, but the festival lasts for a whole month. This year, the month of ghosts runs from 16 August to 14 September.
During this month, believers would make food offerings, burn incense and joss paper, and make paper maché models of clothes, gold, and other valuable things to honor the dead and make them feel better. Since it’s considered an unlucky month, some people may also stick to myths and beliefs to avoid ‘bad luck.’
Then, what should people know about Hungry Ghost Festival? What can we do to keep bad things from happening?
Here are several do’s and don’ts during the Hungry Ghost Festival:
Things you should do during the Hungry Ghost Festival
1. Pray for the spirits
Prayer has a lot of power. These wandering spirits sometimes need prayers. You can pray for them at church, temple, or home.
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2. Light their way with candles
Most of the time, these ghosts need a light to help them find their way. You can also light a path for them if you have candles.
3. Burn paper money
Burning paper money for the dead is a part of Chinese culture. People say that if a ghost burns paper money, it will have money in the future. You can burn paper money, paper cars, and even paper houses.
4. Keep the lights on
Since ghosts are ghosts, they will hide in the dark. This is why it’s best to have bright lights in your house. Some people also think bright lights can keep ghosts from following you.
5. Use salt
Since salt cleans, putting rock salt on your doors and windows is a good way to keep ghosts from coming in and haunting your home.
6. Offer food to the dead
Put food out in front of your door. You can give the Hungry Ghosts different treats, like rice, veggies, meat, and sweets. They can even be given alcohol.
Things you shouldn’t do during the Hungry Ghost Festival
1. Don’t wear dark colors
Hungry Ghosts like dark colors. So, avoid dark colors like black, white, dark blue, and others. Wear something red, yellow, or other bright colors this month.
2. Don’t hold a wedding
Don’t get married during Hungry Ghost Festival if you want to live happily ever after. This is because ghosts can curse you or make your marriage life hard.
3. Don’t start a business
Again, ghosts can sometimes do bad things that can hurt your business. You shouldn’t start new projects or take big risks during Hungry Ghost Festival.
4. Don’t hang your clothes outside at night
Don’t leave your shirts or shorts out at night. The ghosts might take the clothes and stick to them. Once they are on the clothes, they will also be on the person who wears them.
Yes, everyone has their own beliefs and traditions. Hungry Ghost Festival is also something that has been passed down from one family to the next. It wouldn’t hurt to follow the traditions of other people. Also, it’s not bad to be careful and believe in mysticism.
Anisa is a writer who focuses on career and lifestyle topics in an effort to motivate both job searchers and employers towards greater fulfillment in their professional lives.
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