The Chinese also regard the ghosts of the dead like many other global cultures. For that, they perform special rituals and customary celebrations in dedicated months. The folk religion related to these customs is called Daoism. The ghosts are believed to be visiting in the seventh lunar month which is also called the Hungry Ghost Month. It’s also the time for the Hungry Ghost festival where special ceremonies and precautionary rituals take place.
Some Facts Related To the Hungry Ghost Festival
This festival is celebrated in the seventh lunar month (usually July or August as per the western calendar) on its 15th day. On the other hand, certain Southern Chinese people celebrate it on the 14th day of the same month. This is because South China communities started celebrating this festival earlier during wartime for preventing an enemy attack on this pious event.
The hungry ghost festival is a traditional Chinese festival for ancestor worship. Some similar festivals include Double Ninth Festival, Qingming Festival, and Spring Festival. This festival is held more important than the Double Ninth and Qingming festival in Hunan and Jiangxi provinces. The Hungry Ghost festival is known as the Zhongyuan festival in Taoist culture and the Yulanpen festival in Buddhist culture.
The festival involves special ceremonies for pleasing the spirits and avoiding their attack. At dusk, the main ceremony is held. The ancestral family tables, photos, paintings are arranged on a table and incense sticks are burnt around them. Food is also put out on the table for the spirits. People also kowtow to the spirits for seeking blessings or punishments for their behavior. They hold a grand feast and regard their lost ancestors by leaving a place for them.
The old ghosts are considered hungry seeking satiation on land for two weeks. To feed and please them is the main aim of the Hungry Ghost month rituals.
About The Hungry Ghost Month
In the Chinese lunar calendar, the seventh month is also called the Ghost month that includes the important Hungry Ghost festival.
This month has been the scariest time for Chinese people ever. It is believed that the ghosts of dead ancestors are released from hell at the start of this month. The presence of these spirits everywhere around makes people avoid going out alone in the dark or swimming.
Generally, these ghosts are believed to be angry and hurtful. The Chinese, thus, perform traditions on the 1st, 14th, and 15th day of this month for dealing with these ghosts.
First Day Rituals in the Hungry Ghost Month
The major activity involves making fake paper money at different places like houses, shops, roadside, fields, temples, etc. This money is dedicated to the ghosts during this month as offerings by burning them.
The hungry ghosts are also given sacrificial food offerings and worshipping with incense sticks. People believe to make the ghosts happy and satisfied with these ways to prevent their curse. Red paper lanterns are also made and hung at different places like homes and businesses to ward off evil spirits.
Ceremonies are carried out in streets, markets, and temples. In the market and street ceremonies, common people gather around for the festival celebration. In the temple ceremonies, monks perform various festival rituals.
Last Day Rituals in the Hungry Ghost Month
It is believed that the gates of hell close on the last day of this month and this is celebrated with a special event. People perform various rituals for this. They burn even more money and clothes as a final offering to the ghosts going back to hell. Once the month ends, the ancestral tablets and photos are kept back.
For the incessantly nonchalant ghosts, special chants are made by Taoist monks for driving them away by force. The ghosts hate the sounds of these chants and leave wailing.
People also make bright colorful lanterns from paper and wood and put names of their ancestors on them. Then, they float these lanterns on small boats in the river. This is to guide the ghosts to their final destination.
Historical Briefing of the Hungry Ghost Festival
There exist no certain historical traces of the Hungry Ghost month and festival. Different Asian cultures like India, Japan, Cambodia, etc. share rituals related to the dead. These seem to be older than the period of Buddha.
One such ancient folk religion is the indigenous Chinese religion called Taoism. Its customs believe that ghosts are released from hell in this month who then seek food or revenge from people. Chants are made by Taoists for freeing these spirits.
Another culture holds that few wild spirits are released from hell by Yama (lord of the hell) to let them enjoy the sacrificial celebrations performed on earth this month. Chinese also believe that their ancestors from heaven come too that calls for their worship as well.
Comparing the Hungry Ghost Festival with Halloween Festival
The Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated during the summer end when it’s a full moon. Thus, it can be seen as following up the West’s Halloween festival or Night of the Dead.
Global cultures regard ghosts and spirits on dedicated days. These customs existed in many ancient tribal folk cultures dating older than Christianity. Halloween emerged in Britain as an offshoot of the Celtic holidays in October. Ghosts were believed to transcend the boundaries between the living and dead realms during this time.
Chinese hold a similar belief too where the Ghost month is the time when a bridge forms between the two realms on full moon night. Thus, they must practice honorary rituals for the dead with precautions against evil spirits. The ceremonies and rituals are also aimed at preventing the pranks by spirits along with worshipping the famous and good spirits. Pleasing the good spirits can protect and help the people too.
Want To Witness This Festival In China?
Festival Tour in China: If you want to be a part of the Hungry Ghost Festival or any other, tell us your details and requirements and we will make an exclusive tour plan to China for you.
Need Immediate Service? 24/7 +65 9135 4444 Dismiss
My head said, Doctor, I just lied to you. I was pregnant when I was in college.After waiting for the owner, Du Heng also saw the house Wei Kaida helped him find.
Fang Ru Wu Luo Insurance Gong Fenwu Sang Ben Cocoon Shoulder Jieyuan Pani drives the tax workers to slip away and rushes the tax officials to lead The sputum workers are promoted to tax overseas Cocoon What Next to the cocoon, the picker The cocoon The mysterious scum in the shed is painted in a hurry.
The woman looked relaxed and showed the bill to her mother.Jin Juan sneered, Do you think you understand very well Is there any problem Do you know what it means to get cervical cancer in your twenties Really The man with glasses wavered, but he still shook his head honestly.
Therefore, Du Heng still considered that the patient s itching, pain, and skin rupture were due to fungal infection of the skin.But when he saw Lan Changhua again, Du Heng was still shocked.
When they see your paper tomorrow, they will come to you to deepen cooperation.Those who believe will naturally believe it. To borrow a famous saying Those who have wronged you know more about how wronged you are than you do.
Du Heng slapped Wei Kaida s hand away in disgust, Disgusting, dirty.Yan Ting was quite impressed, It was a natural birth, and there was nothing special at the time.
Jin Zan s wife nodded, I made a note Fueling Your Transformation: A Deep Dive into Keto Gummies and Ketosis of it. Also, don t blow directly on the air conditioner.After confirming once again that there was no obstruction in the way, she started chatting with Pei Jihua, Hey, you don t know.
familiar. The village doctor has to go to the health center every once in a while.After leaving the confinement room, I asked Wu Buwei to get the car keys.
As long as their condition can improve, you will be a great contributor.It s great to be a teacher, working from 9 to 5, with winter and summer vacations.
If it s not necessary, don t push it. You ve been doing this job for several years, and you know better than me.I watched two of them in one morning, and no one wanted to leave them alone.
But the hostess was a little calm. To be honest, she has seen many such scenes.But now the patient s lower abdomen continues to bulge, and Fuel Your Fat Loss: Smoothie Recipes Nutritionists Swear By he is a little confused and confused as to what s going on.
It seems that I am really old. Guan Bo was not surprised by this question.After a long while, he said, We also have Chinese medicine in the pharmacy on the village.
But this was the first time they had seen such an expression today.In the third category, children who receive treatment under the age of two and receive intensive training the day after tomorrow may have slow intellectual development and slightly uncoordinated limbs.
Du Heng agreed wholeheartedly, Have you decided how long Unlock the Potential: Understanding Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Side Effects it will take Got Du Heng s reply , Wu Shengnan became happy again, Do you think a week is okay Is it enough time Since we want to go out to play, let s just have fun.How can they let us spend money We are not going to advertise.
Because of his limited mobility, the shot pierced his chest directly.The atmosphere on the court was a little frozen for a while, and Du Heng felt a little left out on the stage.
His curiosity, which had been suppressed for two days, was finally exposed.It will be very embarrassing if we come. Du Heng thought the same thing.
We will merge what needs to be merged, abolish what needs to be abolished, and open a few more useful departments.He was about to speak to ease the Sculpt Your Core: Fast Strategies for Reducing Stomach Weight atmosphere, but unexpectedly, Guan Bo opposite him became angry.
But there are still those who don t believe in evil, Dean Du, does Unlock Your Metabolism: The Science Behind Apple Cider Vinegar and Fat Burning in 2026 this arrangement violate the hospital s regulations Which rule does it violate Du Heng looked directly at the director who stood up, his face even more gloomy.Among the medical bloggers, there is a dermatology doctor.
Tell me quickly, where is the doctor in the video I heard his accent sounds like we are from Jinzhou.After explaining the family members, Du Heng asked Si Hong from the Department of Pediatrics to watch, then turned and returned to Fuel Your Transformation: Delicious & Effortless Recipes for Natural Weight Loss his office.
Even if you save the child, if the prognosis is not good and the child is left disabled, then according to the parents current attitude, the child may not live long.Have a chat. Du Heng didn t rush to speak, and said directly, Okay, you go ahead.
Hearing Jin Juan s words at this time, she couldn t help but chuckle, Then there s nothing you can do about it, just suffer.I haven t checked your brother s pulse yet, and I don t dare to vouch for you now.
I will give Sculpt Your Core: 5 Exercises to Blast Stubborn Belly Fat in Just 15 Minutes you treatment after eating. After Wu Shengnan left, Du Heng looked at the documents on the computer and narrowed his eyes slightly.You didn t tell me earlier. Du Heng was convinced. but had to turn around and walk in the other direction.
asked. Du Heng squatted aside, pulled open the clothes that Wang Shuqiu had just folded, and folded them into a ball randomly.Seeing him bending down, I thought he was about to kowtow again, so I rushed over and helped Wang Shiyuan.
He could only wait until Yang Yuansheng Decoding the Keto Buzz: Are Keto Gummies Really Delivering? took the medicine and see the effect.However, knowing that Du Heng was the dean, he calmed down a little and was not as aggressive as he was in the lobby just now.
After taking the medicine to dispel wind and treat phlegm, his arms became more Unlock Your Metabolic Potential: The Doctor Juan Rivera Keto ACV Gummies Approach numb, the phlegm and saliva became more abundant, the body was soft and the muscles were relaxed, and the legs and knees were stiff and painful.Then a group of people entered the consultation room in a mighty manner.
The woman saw Du Heng s gaze, patted the man who was still making signs, and said with a sad expression, At the end of April, my husband came back from his car, and the family was sitting together for dinner, and suddenly he couldn t speak.Don t stand in front of Tingting anymore. Showing that you are so nervous will affect Tingting.