The Chinese Halloween:
Hungry Ghost Month
Halloween is no doubt one of
my favorite celebrations in the United States. I can’t say why, considering
that I have only celebrated two Halloweens so far, and both have been
relatively uneventful in comparison to the parties I grew up watching in Vampire
Diaries and Stranger Things. Nonetheless I appreciate the concept of dressing
up as your favorite characters once a year and going around households
blackmailing families for candy. So in the spirit of Halloween, I’m going to
introduce the Hungry Ghost Month celebrated by the Chinese.
The Hungry Ghost Month is the Chinese people’s very own version of
Halloween, only it lasts for a month and it veers off from being whimsical towards
being slightly terrifying. The Hungry Ghost Festival begins on the 15th
day of every lunar calendar, which is July or August for Western Calendars.
Chinese believe that on this day, the barriers that separate Hell from our
world open, allowing the deceased to cross into the realm of the living. Filial
piety among the Chinese is often strong enough to extend to their ancestors
even after death, which means that living descendants will usually honor their
deceased relatives by burning incense, joss paper as well as papier-mâché form
of money,
clothes and other luxury items. Descendants
also prepare food offerings that will be served to the ancestors along with
empty seats at the dining table, as if they were still living. In countries
like Singapore and Malaysia, concerts or Getai as they are known, are sometimes
held during the Hungry Ghost Month to honour the deceased. During events such
as these, the front row seats are usually reserved for spirits and closed off
to living people.
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| Straitstimes.com |
1.
Avoid taking
pictures late at night. According to traditional Chinese beliefs, cameras and
photography can record spirits. So you might capture something you do not wish
to see.
2.
Do not hang
clothes late at night, as clothes resemble human form, which may attract
restless spirits.
3.
Never turn your
head if you feel your shoulder tapped or your name called at night; it is
believed that human beings have two protective flames on their shoulders.
Turning your head could snuff out one of the flames and make you vulnerable to
spirits.
4.
It is also
considered bad luck to disturb or take offerings that are meant to appease the
spirits. In the event that you were to accidentally disturb it, you are to
apologize or risk incurring the wrath of the spirits it was meant for.
5.
Don’t mess with Ouija
boards or games that are meant to communicate with the other side, for reasons
that I would consider are obvious.
6.
Lastly, avoid
talking to yourself or generally making a lot of noise late at night. Spirits
that crave attention might interpret it as an invitation to interact and be
drawn to you.
Many of the superstitions
and taboos surrounding the Hungry Ghost Month are based on traditions and
personal beliefs that have spanned over several generations. To this day, the
Hungry Ghost Month remains as important a festival to the Chinese as Halloween
is to Westerners. As mentioned above, Chinese culture places strong emphasis on
filial piety and many see these rules as a way to respect and honor their
deceased family members. And while most of these superstitions sound like silly
old-wives tales, it is still better to be safe than sorry. Happy Halloween!
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