Hungry Ghost Festival - September 2, 2020

Hungry Ghost Festival, incense on an alter.  Photo by Benoxi.

     The 7th month of the Chinese calendar is a time in Buddhist, Taoist, and Chinese folk religious traditions when the veils between spiritual dimensions fade and ghosts may cross the borders into the earthly realm.  During this month, traditions and specific practices can vary regionally, but often include music and theater performances and the offering of food to the dead.  The most significant day is on the 15th of the month - September 2nd in 2020 in the Gregorian calendar – on which is celebrated the Hungry Ghost Festival. (South China celebrates on the 14th day.)

     One of the traditions is to make money, clothes, and other objects out of joss wood and then burn them as offerings to the spirits. Music and theater performances during the celebration are loud and festive as ghosts are attracted to the commotion. Afterwards, lanterns are placed on water and outside of houses to guide the ghosts back home. 

     In one account of the Chinese Chieh Tsu (“Receiving Ancestor Festival”) in the book The Folklore of World Holidays, a person from the Chinese Yunnan Province described how their family celebrated the festival. They described how the head of the family would take food and drink offerings out to the street, invite their departed ancestors into their home, and show them deep reverence by bowing down, with their head on the ground (a practice called kowtow).  The offerings would then be placed on a decorated table with chairs left empty for the spirits.  The table would have incense and red candles on it with symbolic green and red paper clothing hung on the wall over it.  Tiny sedan chairs made of paper flowers were also crafted.  The ancestors would be celebrated for three days and then the paper clothing, the tiny chairs, and gold-silver paper money were taken out onto the street and burned. The ancestors were then told to leave and kowtow’ed three times.  Lanterns would then be lit on a lake. 

Hungry Ghost Festival, the burning of offerings.  Photo by Mister Bijou.

      In the Chinese Hupeh Province, a story was related in which Buddhist monks and Taoist priests would throw little rolls in the air for the spirits.  Children would also try to catch them as treats as well.

     In Taiwan, this day is known as “opening of the gates of Hell”.  For the next 15 days, ghosts in purgatory are released and their suffering is decreased by banquets and incense offered to them.  The deity Ch’eng Huang and his official court watch over the event to help insure the safety of mortals.  Figures of Fan and Hsieh, guardians of the gates of Hell, are placed around the city as another means of protection.

     In Vietman, this day is known as Trung Nguyen (Wandering Souls Day) and is the second largest festival of the year.  Condemned souls are released from Hell and their sins may be  absolved through prayer during the 15th day through the 30th.  Food is offered on family alters for ancestors and in pagodas and other public places for souls without living relatives. Like during the Chieh Tsu, money and paper clothes are also burned as well. "Scene from a Ghost Story: The Okazaki Cat Demon" by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, c. 1850 in Japan.  Photo from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (public domain).

"Toriyama Akinari Terutada with Ghost; (Lavender Chapter)" by Utagawa Yoshiiku, 1864 in Japan.  Photo from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (public domain).

To learn about similar food offerings to spirits in Finland click here 

REFERENCES:

benoxi. "Burning Incense, Hungry Ghosts Festival." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 19 Apr 2016.

Bijou, Mister. "Ghost Festival, China." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 30 Oct 2014.

“Chinese Calendar 2020, September.” Projeraia. https://www.prokerala.com/general/calendar/chinesecalendar.php?year=2020&month=9&sb=1

“Ghost Festival.” Anyday Guide. https://anydayguide.com/calendar/243 

Kuniyoshi, Utagawa.  “Scene from a Ghost Story: The Okazaki Cat Demon.”  The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/45282

MacDonald, Margaret Read, Editor. The Folklore of World Holidays, First Edition. Gale Research Inc., 1992. 

Yoshiiku, Utagawa. “Toriyama Akinari Terutada with Ghost; (The Lavender Chapter).” The Metropolitan Museum of Art. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/45280