August: Month of Chinese Ghost Festival

The Ghost Festival (also known as Zhongyuan Festival by Taoists or Yu Lan Pen Festival by Buddhists, 中元节) is the day to pay respects to the deceased by offering sacrifices.

In Chinese culture, it is thought that all ghosts will come out from the hell on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, so the day is called the Ghost Day and the seventh lunar month is the Ghost Month.

Devotees burn joss sticks and pray for the visiting spirits of the ancestors.

In China, people also have the custom of offering sacrifices to the deceased on the Spring Festival, Qingming Festival and the Double Ninth Festival. But different from these festivals, the Ghost Festival is the day that all ghosts will come out to visit the livings. Also, people only offer sacrifices to their ancestors and relatives on the above festivals, while during the Ghost Festival, besides ancestors and relatives, people will offer sacrifices to all the ghosts or spirits. The Ghost Festival is regarded as the most important one among all the festivals that offering sacrifices the deceased.

Observed by: Buddhist, Taoist, Chinese folk religion believers

Traditions and customs: Offering sacrifices to ancestors and all the deceased, Burning joss paper, Chanting of scriptures, Floating lotus flower-shaped lanterns

The Ghost Festival falls on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month. In Gregorian calendar, it usually falls on August or September. The ghost month refers to the 7th lunar month. The following chart shows the exact date for the festival and the ghost month duration from 2016 to 2018:

 
Year               Date of Ghost Festival                  Ghost month
2016             17th August                                     3rd August – 31st August
2017             5th September                                22nd August – 19th September
2018             25th August                                     11th August – 9th September
 

Customs
 
In China, people think on the Ghost month, the gate of hell will open to allow the ghosts and spirits go back to the living world. During the month, those have families will visit their families and those alone will roam on the street to seek food and entertainment.

Family members usually offer sacrifice to their deceased ancestors and relatives during the month and on the Ghost day. They are honored with delicious food three times a day on a table. The family’s ancestral tablets and photographs will be put on the table with incense burning near them. People also pay tribute to those unknown wandering ghosts with food and burn joss paper to please the ghosts on the 15th (some places on the 14th) day of the 7th lunar month to avoid the harm by them.

Buddhists and Taoists usually perform ceremonies on the day to help the ghosts ease the sufferings. They will set altars for them and chant scriptures. Monks often throw rice or some small foods into the air to distribute them to the ghosts.

On the evening of the Ghost day, people also make lanterns and float them on the river to help their relatives find their way back to home. The lanterns are usually lotus flower-shaped with light or candles. Some people also write their ancestors’ name on the lanterns.

Taboos:
As the ghosts and the suffering spirits will come out from the hell to visit their homes during the 7th lunar month (the ghost month), many things should be avoided during this month including the ghost day.

1. Don’t stroll at night.
2. Don’t swimming. It is said that the drowned evil ghost might try to drown you in order to find victims for them to rebirth.
3. As the month is considered to be inauspicious, don’t move to new houses, start new businesses or marry.
4. Don’t hang clothes outside at night.
5. Do not pick up coins or money found on the street and never bring it home.
6. Do not step on or kick the offerings by the roadside. If you step by accident, you should apologize aloud to make it alright.
7. Do not wear red because ghosts are attracted to red.
8. Don’t whistle as these may attract ghosts.
9. Keep away from the wall corners as it is believed that ghosts like sticking to corners.
10. If you are born during the ghost month, avoid celebrating your birthday at night. It’s better to celebrate during the daytime.