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
This kid should have learned from Li Shuxun, and he no longer called him senior brother when there were many people.Never eat them together. One is very hot Conquer Your Tummy: A Meal Plan to Lose Belly Fat and the other is very cold.
Xiaokang, have you slept Dean, I haven t slept yet, what s wrong Have all the procedures at Luqi Hospital been completed Then I heard a rustling voice coming from the other end of the phone.Then you know, why does this egg fall there and appear outside the male s body instead of inside Unlock Your Metabolism: The 2026 Apple Cider Vinegar Weight Loss Recipe for Sustainable Fat Burning the body Du Heng s answers and questions made the girl react a little, although she didn t know why, But I already felt that it was my problem.
It is time to deal with them. For a moment, everyone in the office was in a state of collective anger.In addition, you are The Simple (But Not Always Easy) Path to Weight Loss already skinny, so it is best to rest at home.
The medicine is just there, and no one has any better way.Ah. Although I m not a famous person, if I can t give Dr.
Du Heng didn t insist on this. After having lunch and picking up Du Yi s things, Du Heng hurried into the city.Wang Zhenzhen looked at Gong Daoyang, who was still smooth talking, and felt that she was too worried, so she once again put down her mind.
The so called great worship is immortal, prison is immortal is nothing more than the use of the rules in Huang s view.Meng Jingzhe was startled.This sentence, like some mechanism, opened up Meng Jingzhe s sealed skills, and countless broken pictures, like a tide, came one after another.
Alando.Jialuoshu, Guangxian and Liuli Bodhisattva listened attentively at the same time.The holy land of the demon race may even become the holy land of all races.
So I escaped the disaster.No wonder Gu God can survive As expected, the secret technique of the Heavenly Gu played a vital role, Liuli thought without any emotional ups and downs.We, Long Yin, are a big girl now.The idol said with a smile.
Jing and Jian Zun looked at her, and seemed to suddenly realize that the little girl he had brought back was already eighteen years old, and it was the most beautiful age of a woman.And this is what Zhao Shou wanted.Therefore, as soon as he appeared on the stage, he trapped Liuli Bodhisattva regardless of the cost, hoping to use this fierce method to convey his thoughts to his companions.
Meng Jingzhe nodded, and said I think that you can live in peace and stability even if you can stir up wind and rain like this.Huang s heart shuddered You were sealed by me on purpose Jianzheng laughed and said, After seeing the first generation magic weapon, I knew that there was no chance of winning that battle, so I took advantage of your greed for the gatekeeper s spirit to be sealed by Period Problems: How Does Weight Loss Affect Your Cycle? you.
This is the carving knife of a Confucian sage Lina said.Meng Xiaotian.Meng Xiaotian is usually lazy, doesn t care about cultivation, and has never done Get Your Grain On: The Best Cereal for Weight Loss anything on the fighting side.
Going all the way like this, I finally reached the center of Cangtian Valley.Even if there is a fight, Shenshu still has room to retreat while fighting.
This kid touched me at close range just now, but the supervisor didn t respond.
I know the days very well.He told me a few days ago Unlock Your Weight Loss Potential: The Case for L-Glutamine that you will go to work soon.The tower door on the first floor opened, and the cyclone billowed, sucking Chai Xing er into it and confining it to the second floor.
Li Lingsu asked casually What s your name The little maid said softly Master, little girl Du Juan.Are you desperate The people who were suppressed in the pagoda of the pagoda also had the credit for me.
As for the others, their thinking couldn t keep up.If a person does not tell the truth, he cannot be called a human being.
I just called his mother a woman in a hook bar, he was a bastard, and he almost strangled me.We missed the opportunity.The monk who spoke just now Unlock Your Best Body: A Deep Dive into DR Weight Loss shook his head.
Turning his head, he looked towards the head of the bed, and sure enough there was a figure in white Is Your Lap Band Worth It? Decoding Medicaid Coverage for Weight Loss Surgery standing at the head of the bed, his facial features blurred in the darkness.Luo Yuheng couldn t understand this matter.Under the catastrophe, everything will be turned into ashes.
In just a split second, Xu Qi an was soaked in blood, sweat mixed with blood, and his face was grim in pain.The Corpse Gu Department in Southern Xinjiang has a secret The Benefits of a Personalized Approach to Weight Loss technique of raising corpses with corpses.
But what kind of posture to jump, I can still decide.The dream slowly dissipated, and everyone had endless aftertaste.
In addition, why did Faji Unlock Your Best Self: How Inositol Can Help You on Your Weight Loss Journey Bodhisattva suddenly disappear, preventing Buddhism from finding it This sentence not only explained the origin of the amulet, but also highlighted his innocence.Actually, I think Uncle Jingxin likes to meddle too much.
He did not ridicule, nor did he have any selfish thoughts about being self conscious, but he had a secret joy Decoding the Buzz: Adele’s Weight Loss Gummies – What You Need to Know About B2OD in his heart that was not visible to outsiders.Du Heng knew that the tibia and fibula were completely broken and the displacement was very obvious.
If someone saw it, they would think you were doing a paternity test.Consciousness. Du Heng checked the child in front of him.
Come in, and when I finish writing, you can just take it away.It is best that we can officially start work next week.
Gu Take the Guesswork Out: How to Choose the Perfect Weight Loss Calculator Ping s eyes were full of hope, Teacher Du, how is the patient s condition Du Heng breathed out softly, and immediately told his diagnosis, But the patient has been ill for more than ten years, and all treatments have failed.Apart from Jin Juan, he could not think of anyone else for the time being.
Oh. Disappointed. The emotion was Unlock Your Keto Journey: Why Shark Tank Loved ACV Keto Gummies palpable. After a speechless night, Du Heng saw Liao Yuzhu in the living room, who was looking depressed.Du Heng sat firm and said the third thing calmly, The hospital is planning to establish a Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and I will serve as the director of the department for the time being.
Li Jianwei walked beside Du Heng and looked at Looking at Du Heng beside him, his eyes were full of satisfaction and pride.Oh. Cui Yingma quickly looked for something for Du Heng, her attitude completely changed 180 degrees compared to before.
Moreover, Du The Case for Buying Diet Meds Without a Prescription Heng s cold face and aura were a bit scary, which made several people become cautious.Jin Juan frowned and was about to say something to the man, but the man didn t look back.
But this idea is definitely just an idea. Beyond the Scale: What Really Helps You Lose Weight The bureau and the Health Commission I m sure none of you will agree.The Second Municipal Court never expected that , I originally sent someone to try to establish a relationship with Du Heng and get a share of the pie, but I didn t expect that the person I sent would be instigated to rebel.