The 7th Month : Hungry Ghost Festival

GhostWalking

Hungry Ghost Festivals falls on the  15th day of August every year  (Equivalent to seventh moon in the  Chinese calendar).

It was during this  time that Chinese believe that the  gates of Hell are opened and the spirit  of the dead being let loose to wander  among the living.

The celebration of Hungry Ghost  Festivals which last for about a month  provides a link between the living and  the dead, earth and heaven as well as  body and soul.

For Buddhist in Penang, this festival carries special meaning and is considered one of
the most important festivals for the community. The origins of the festivals can be  traced back to a story originally from India.

Chinese legend states that long long time ago, there is a wealthy merchant named  mu-lien who after attaining enlightenment wanted to search for his dead parents.  When he found them, his father is in heaven but his mother is a hungry ghost who  lives in hell.

The story goes that his mother was a wicked woman. She often turned away  beggars who came to her door asking for food. She liked to jeer at the poor people  and their dirty clothes; in essence, the only person she cared about was herself.  When mu-lien wanted to become a monk, she scowled at him for being such a  useless son as all she cares is only wealth and materialistic things. She also dislikes  monks and play tricks at them. When mu-lien mother died, she was immediately  punished and sends to hell.

In order to bring her mother back to heaven, mu-lien ask her to be kind to any  Buddhist monk and eliminate greed from her mind altogether. Unfortunately, she  can't do it.

Mu-lien having no choice, tries to rescues his mother from hell by battling various  demons and praying to Buddha's. As mu-lien is a very kind soul, Buddha heard his  prayers one day and offers him a deal. Buddha decreed that once a year, the gates  of hell is opened so that the lost souls will be able to roam the earth and be fed.  Monks will then be able to pray and make sacrifices on behalf of dead spirit or  hungry ghost. This is why every year on the seventh day of the seventh month in  the lunar calendar; the Chinese celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festivals.


Chinese in Penang today believe that the Hungry Ghost must be appeased in order  to get good fortune and better luck in their lives. That is why, every year Hungry  Ghost Festivals was organized so that food and entertainment can be provided for  the wandering spirit. Makeshift altars and stages was set-up along the road of  Georgetown to provide entertainment such as puppet shows and traditional street  operas.

Now a days, the traditional operas have been replace by singers dress in sexy outfit,  sang and dance pop music to appease the spirit. When you do plan to see one of  the show, don't be surprise to see that why the front row is being left vacant. It is  being reserved for the spirit!

Various foods offering such as chicken, vegetables, fruits, bean curd, white rice,  bowls of noodles, sweetmeats, cakes and other treats are placed at street corners  and along roadsides to appease the spirits. The Chinese leave all these offerings  outside the gates of houses to prevent the hungry ghosts from entering their homes  and creating trouble or bringing bad luck. Lanterns are lit up to help guide the  ghosts to the feasts area set out for them.

Shrines are filled with offerings to the dead as many people come to pray for their  dead relative. Hell money is burned to provide them with means to purchase  comforts. The Chinese also burn paper houses, Hell passports and Hell airline tickets,  paper television sets, paper cars such as BMW’s and even paper men and women for  those who haven't married for the dead. Some families believe that the offerings can  reach the ghosts and help them live comfortably in the afterlife.

If you have children or toddler, try to keep them inside the house, especially at  night during Hungry Ghost Month.  This is because the "Hungry Ghosts" could lure  them to the valley of the dead. Having a wedding or moving house during this period  is considered bad luck. Swimming at the beach is also discouraged because many  tragedies have taken place in the sea, as evil ghosts may be eager to take away  more lives!

The 30th day of the seventh moon is the last day of the Hungry Ghost Festivals. At  midnight, the ghosts return to Hell and the gates are shut after them. Paper  offerings and some other goods are burnt in a giant bonfire as a final present to the  spirit.


http://www.penang-vacations.com/hungry-ghost-festivals.html

GhostWalking

Kuala Lumpur's Phor Thor Hungry Ghost FestivalPhor Thor is one the year's biggest festivals


The Festival of the Hungry Ghosts, also known as Phor Thor, is a traditional Chinese holiday and festival celebrated by Chinese people all over the world. The festival recognises the Taoist belief in the afterlife and the main day falls on the 15th day of the seventh month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar (August 14th in 2011), the day the Chinese believe Hell’s gates will open. The festival is, however, celebrated for 30 days, beginning on the first day of the seventh month.

Legend has it that the dead souls – referred to as the Hungry Ghosts – are released during this month and free to wonder the streets side-by-side with the living. These ghosts who roam the earth may have been refused access to heaven, or have no remaining living family members to provide them with offerings. The former will search for any living sole to replace them in Hell, while the latter will look to gather necessities after being starved during a year in Hell.


Children are particularly vulnerable and parents must guard them indoors or keep them away from potential dangers such as camping and swimming or be faced with the danger of the Hungry Ghosts luring them to the land of the dead.  More on KL festivals.

Marriages and moving house are both forbidden at this time as they are considered bad luck, while tradition states that anyone who should die during this month faces a bleak future in the afterlife. Also a no-no is taking a trip to the beach as countless tragedies have occurred at sea and evil spirits may be waiting to take more lives. Generally speaking, it is a bad time to do anything, with even businessmen avoiding flying, closing business deals or buying property.

In addition, it is said to be a time when deceased ancestors return to the land of the living, although not in such a needy and dangerous way as the aforementioned spirits. While in the Chung Yeung Festival and Qingming Festival the living pay homage to their ancestors, during the Festival of the Hungry Ghosts, the deceased pay a visit to their living relatives.

Participants don scary masks

Malaysia, being home to a large Chinese population, celebrates one of the biggest festivals outside China and on no bigger scale than in the capital, Kuala Lumpur. Families make special efforts to entertain and feed the roaming ghosts, with song stages called getai being set up for Chinese opera and puppet shows to take place on. The front row is always left vacant so as to accommodate the spirits.

Over recent years more modern entertainment such as live music, dance contests and karaoke have been introduced, most likely to entertain those who are more recently deceased, but also to add appeal for the younger living generations who may not be as interested in opera and puppet shows. Scantily-clad singers and dancers have caused some controversy in recent times with claims they are dishonouring the festival’s tradition, although they do bring an extra touch of glamour and colour to the mix.

To ensure their dead ancestors are satiated, people will offer food and burn joss sticks – wads of fake money known as hell money - while an assorted mix of paper cars, furniture and TVs will also go up in smoke in the belief that these offerings will help them live a more comfortable life in their new world. The Chinese, who believe their ancestors can help them and improve their fortunes from beyond the grave, carry out these acts to ensure they will be continually protected and blessed on earth.

The most spectacular displays of offerings in Kuala Lumpur are at the Taoist temples and wet markets. They are normally overseen by an effigy of Taai Si Wong, the leader of the Hungry Ghosts, who gets first choice of the food on offer and keeps other ghosts in line, ensuring they don’t do too much damage while on earth. There are also food offerings left on street corners, along roadsides and outside houses, with the latter believed to prevent hungry ghosts from going inside. More on religion in Malaysia.

The events are always held at night with all the performances on outdoor stages having their decibel levels cranked up as high as possible in the belief that the loud entertainment will attract and please the roaming ghosts. Visitors are welcome to join the festivities but must be careful not to disrespect any of the traditions, particularly sitting in the front row of a performance.

If in Kuala Lumpur during the month, it is well worth checking out Chinatown, where many of the celebrations take place, as well as some of the local Chinese neighbourhoods. Temporary stages are erected throughout the city and the noise level makes them hard to miss.

http://www.1stopkualalumpur.com/articles/hungry_ghost_festival

GhostWalking

The Dreaded Hungry Ghost MonthPublished July 17, 2012 by jptan2012       

One of the most famous Chinese festivals, other than Chinese New Year and Moon Cake Festival, is the Hungry Ghost Festival, which also happens to be one of the most dreaded festival and month of the Chinese.

The Hungry Ghost Festival happens on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, however, unlike the other festivals, like the Chinese New Year wherein the changing of the Flying Stars happens on a specified time and date, the preparation and effect of the Hungry Ghost Month, as the term indicates, lasts for a month. It actually starts on the first day of the 7th lunar month, peaks on the 15th day, which is the Hungry Ghost Festival, and ends on the last day of the 7th lunar month.

Every year, if you follow the Gregorian/Western calendar, the Hungry Ghost Month lands on different dates. Sometimes, it starts in July and ends in August, or starts in August and ends in September. But it always cuts across August of the Gregorian calendar. For this year (2012), the Hungry Ghost Month starts on August 17 and ends on September 15. The peak is on August 30, 2012, which is the date of the Hungry Ghost Festival.
But what is the Hungry Ghost Festival or Hungry Ghost Month?

Hungry Ghost Month is actually simply called Ghost Month (鬼月, Guǐ Yuè) in Chinese, the word Hungry is added in the words Ghost Months to clarify the nature of the ghosts that best characterized this season…they’re HUNGRY!

During this month, it is believed that the King of Hell opens the gate of hell to release and allow the spirits in hell or ghosts to be free and roam our world. It is believed that the hungry ghosts will visit families and other humans, thus it is said that there’d be more paranormal and ghostly manifestation during this month. Furthermore, hungry ghosts will also look for victims that they can bring with them to hell, and thus there’d be more accidents, more than that because of the strong yin and negative energy of this season, business becomes bad and it is highly advisable that one shouldn’t sign any contract, move to a new house, get operated on during the entire Hungry Ghost Month.

Why are they considered hungry?
Buddhism and Taoism both have a slightly different version of the Hungry Ghost. For Buddhism, Hungry Ghost is in one of the Six Realms of Existence, and they are simply a form of existence. However, for Taoism, Hungry Ghosts are (1) spirits of people who have not yet gone through a reincarnation and are largely forgotten by their descendants, (2) spirits of really bad people and they’re currently being punished, (3) spirits of really sad people who died of a violent death or suicide, (4) lost spirits who harbored so much yin energy or yin feelings while they were sill living.

They’re hungry because they are unable to get food from their living love ones because their violent or yin dominant death has blocked their connection with their loved ones, they don’t have any love ones on earth, or simply they have been forgotten. It is said that a deceased love one will have connection with us for a few more years, and depending on how we treat their spirits they may enter the samsara (cycle of life) immediately or go to hell as an hungry ghost. It is also said that ghost still needs sustenance in the other existence, and they get it from us in the form of offerings. These people not receiving any are then thrown into the pit of hell and become hungry ghosts.

Since most of these ghosts lived a negative life or died a violent death, many of them still harbor ill feelings towards their fate, so when they’re released they also try to do us harm. Thus all of us need to be extra careful.

https://sanaakosirickylee.wordpress.com/2012/07/17/dhgm/

GhostWalking

GhostWalking

A Chinese Indonesian throws fake money to honor their ancestors during the Hungry Ghost Festival in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Aug. 10, 2014.

GhostWalking

Anything placed on the offering altar is considered as an offering for the spirits, so don't place your child on the altar!

Emperor95

Bolehlah Ghost pun bergembira sekali.

cfa

selalunya tiap2 tahun apabila bulan hantu lapar je ,dekat tv selalu siar cerita hantu.
tahun ni macam takde pulak.

GhostWalking

pastu banyak kes orang mati lemas

reeny

kaka @GhostWalking ada rasa terlebih lapar tak bulan nie???

GhostWalking

reeny replied at 4-8-2016 06:29 AM
kaka @GhostWalking ada rasa terlebih lapar tak bulan nie???

Kenyang sebab semalam banyak lauk derang bagi.ada nasi ada ayam ada biskut buah semua lengkap  

babysolaris

uwargggggggg ghost month

shasha79

better be safe then sorry

finn

Tiap kali bulan ni sampai, laman rumah aku msti penuh debu2 hitam jiran2 cina bakar 'duit' setambun tepi jalan depan rumah..

Missfadh

Kalau yg bakar replika rumah, kereta tu festival ni juga ke? Tahun lps, ada org cina sembahyang dpn kereta meols kat area parking ofis. Terkezzut tau.

Artemesiaa

Back to back pesta makanan buat yang nyata dan yang tidak nampaknya

midori_katana

Seronok time ni sbb tv  berlumba2 siarkan movie hantu... yg tak bestnyer sbb tersalah parking kereta habisla kalau depa buat tempat bakar duit ... dan jalan kat kaw. Perumahan semua sepah2 sbb pembakaran yg tak sistematik

supernaturalee

ms duk seri kembangan nmpk lh jgk
ni dh duk putrajaya mmg xlah

GhostWalking

A three-day carnival is being held in Victoria Park this weekend for the Festival of the Hungry Ghost, in a bid by Hong Kong’s Chiu Chow community to revive waning interest from young people.

The annual festival was brought to Hong Kong by the Chiu Chow people, who immigrated from Guangdong’s Chaoshan.

Also known as Yu Lan or Ullambana in the Buddhist tradition, or Zhongyuan in Taoism, the Hungry Ghost Festival originates from a number of religious fables.

What remains constant is its theme of feeding the restless spirits who burst open the gate of hell on the first day of the seventh lunar month of the year, with the party is in full swing on its fifteenth day – known as the Ghost Day.

The festival sees offerings of food, as well as the burning of paper and incense, to appease these restless ancestors. Special sheds are constructed for people to worship the gods in. This year, Ghost Day is on August 16.

Plans to make Hong Kong’s Yue Lan Festival as big as Halloween: cultural heritage to mix with cosplay and anime

Although the festival was listed as part of China’s intangible cultural heritage by the State Council in 2011, the number of festivals in Chiu Chow communities has decreased from close to 70 per year to about 50 per year.

Anven Wu Yim-chung, a director at the Federation of Hong Kong Chiu Chow Community  Organisations, said the festival’s popularity had declined.

He said the Federation was  experimenting with ways to revive interest and engage the younger members of the community, which numbers more than a million in Hong Kong.

“Less money is raised [to fund these celebrations], the sheds have been built smaller, and the tributes to the gods and the ghosts have been less and less over the years,” he said.

Competitors at the Ghost Grappling Competition at last year’s Hungry Ghost Festival. Photo: Sam Tsang

For old-timers, rituals are performed in the Month of the Ghost to placate the souls of their deceased “good brothers” – the early Chiu Chow immigrants who died without proper funerals. The spirits of those who were not properly buried are believed to be starving in the underworld.

Organisation chairman Ian Chan Yau-Nam said that there was a disconnect between today’s Hongkongers and the narrative of the “good brothers”. But he urged people to look at the broader meaning of the festival.

“Yu Lan Festival is not just a Chiu Chow tradition but a Chinese tradition. But in Hong Kong, Yu Lan Festivals are mostly held by Chiu Chow people,” Chan said. “The so-called ‘good brothers’ do not refer only to Chiu Chow people but any friends who died away from home. So the theme is really about ‘universal love’.”

Wu said while celebrations traditionally took place at the neighbourhood level, this year they have organised the carnival at Victoria Park, to educate people about Yu Lan customs, such as the Ghost Grappling Competition and Chiu Chow Opera.

“Besides having the celebrations in separate neighbourhoods all around the city, we want to put together a festival for all Hongkongers to enjoy,” Wu said.

The Ghost Grappling Competition is the main activity of the festival. With six people on a team and 21 teams in total, participants will compete to catch the highest amount of rice bags with their Gu Sings, which resemble lacrosse sticks. These rice bags, which symbolise culinary tributes enjoyed by the ghosts and blessed by the gods, will be tossed out from an altar.

“The tradition stems from a time when the priests toss out leftover food from the altar to the poor and people would fight to get their hands on it,” Wu said. “We have now modernised this tradition so that it resembles a modern friendly sport match.”

The Federation will also be experimenting with an activity named Family Basket this year. Teams of families will compete to stack the highest pile of tributes on a household shrine tray. Wu said engaging children and young couples was crucial in passing down the culture of Yu Lan to the new generation.

Wu said he had been preparing this event and inviting people for almost half a year. There will be teams representing Hong Kong Police, several high schools and social groups this weekend.

“The other intangible cultural heritages in Hong Kong all have some very engaging events such as the Bun Scrambling Competition and the Fire Dragon Dance,” Chan said. “We are hoping to have our festival with our own special events,” he said.

---

HUNGRY GHOST FESTIVAL

Location: Victoria Park

Friday, August 12

10am -11am: A ceremony to invite gods

2pm - 8pm: Activities at the cultural booths

2pm - 3pm: Yu Lan Culture 101 (Speaker: Anven Wu Yim-chung)

4pm - 5pm: The 2016 Yu Lan Ghost Festival Opening Ceremony

5pm - 8pm: An Introduction into The Ghost Grappling Competition

6pm - 7pm: Yu Lan Handcrafts (Speaker: Mo Cheuk-kei)

7pm - 8pm: Yu Lan Dolls (Speaker: Chan Kam-to)

Saturday, August 13

10am - 8pm: Activities at the cultural booths

10am -12pm: An Introduction into The Ghost Grappling Competition

1pm: Family Basket Competition - First Round

4pm: Family Basket Competition - Semifinals

5pm: Family Basket Competition - Finals

7pm - 8pm: Yu Lan Opera (Speaker: Chan Ming-ying)

Sunday, August 14

10am - 8pm: Activities at the cultural booths

10am - 12pm: An Introduction into The Ghost Grappling Competition

1pm: The Ghost Grappling Competition - First Round

4pm: The Ghost Grappling Competition - Semifinals

5pm: The Ghost Grappling Competition - Finals

5: 30pm: The Ghost Grappling Competition - MVP Competition

6pm: 2016 Yu Lan Ghost Festival Award Ceremony

7pm - 8pm: Yu Lan Rituals (Speaker: Tang Ka-yu)

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as:
Keeping traditions alive at festival for the dead

GhostWalking

TABOOS


1) Swimming
Think of the reincarnation system as the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) quotas. Someone dies, and that frees up a slot for an evil ghost to rebirth. Rebirthing is a luxury evil spirit can't afford, so they will prowl (hover around) the swimming pools to drown people and grab a slot at reincarnation.
2) Selfies, whistles, or any forms of self-indulgence
Whistling will attract ghosts, and selfies will make you shudder like Shutter. Remember the Thai horror flick Shutter - where a ghost appeared in photos? Lie low and it may very well save your life.
3) New things
New houses, new businesses, new relationships. Avoid all things new as this month is considered to be highly inauspicious, unless you are sadistic and want to wreck it. New water is ok though.
4) Hang your clothes outside to dry
You love your designer labels and chic style, and so do these fiends. Think you are the only one with expensive taste? Haven't you heard that the devil wears Prada?
5) Gold digger
Seen some moolah on the ground? Found some bling-bling lying inconspicuously on the road? STOP! It may very well belong to a ghost, or it may be a trap. Remember, hell hath no fury like a ghost conned.
6) Night activities
As the dust settles and the last rays disappear over the horizon, the night is supposedly when these devilish spirits roam the earth in full force looking for some unsuspecting soul to possess. Your parents impose curfews for a reason, so follow it. After all, Mummy knows best.
7) Kick or trample on offerings
The hungry ghost festival transforms the sidewalks into a minefield strewn with joss paper, charred offerings and food. Keep a wide berth and never step on these offerings.
8) Wear red clothing
Ghosts are apparently attracted to red, so avoid becoming a target board to be possessed. Not too sure about your Louboutins? Better be safe than sorry.
9) Fill the front row seats at Getais
Unless you fancy sitting on the laps of ghosts, do not fill the front row seats at Getais. While the seats look empty, there is more to the empty seats that meet the eye.
10) Turning your head when someone pats you on the shoulder
A favourite prank of the living, this prank has been cleverly adapted by the dead to rob their victim of their 'protective flames', which is supposedly found on our shoulders. Turning your head over the shoulder will snuff out the protective flame, rendering you vulnerable. To circumvent this, turn your whole body instead of your head. Or shoulder guards.
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