The Hungry Ghost Festival – or Ghost Month – is an annual Chinese occasion during the seventh month on the lunar calendar, observed mostly by Buddhists and Taoists. During this time, the gates of Hell are said to be thrown wide open and spirits of the afterlife come out to visit the living realm.
Generally, it is a month to exercise caution. To keep the spirits satisfied and harmless, those who observe this occasion would burn paper offerings, leave food and drinks out in the open, and provide entertainment in the form of getai performances.
Not sure what are the dos and don’ts during this time? We’ve rounded them up for you here. Let’s respect the tradition, lest we end up in the next series of True Singapore Ghost Stories!
Don’t step on or kick offerings along the road
Those are placed there for the spirits. Just imagine how you’d feel if your yaogui (the living, breathing ones) colleagues not only stole the sandwich you were keeping for lunch, but threw them on the ground right in front of your eyes… And you will get a sense of how the true yaogui (the non-living and breathing ones) would feel when you’ve destroyed their annual eat-all-you-can buffet.
Don’t stay out late at night
According to Chinese folklore, the souls of the dead are said to be more powerful at night. A stronger presence plus increased numbers mean that the night is fraught with potential peril. So it’s best to be tucked away safe at home once the sun is down! Also, it’s a good excuse for introverts to turn down invites to social events since we can’t use the CB excuse now.
Don’t hang your laundry out to dry overnight
It is recommended that you do not hang your wet clothes outside at night because wandering ghosts will see it as an invitation to try them on, and then the spirits will “follow” you inside when you bring your clothes back in. Also, why aren’t you drying your laundry when the sun is still out instead?
Don’t go swimming or hang around bodies of water
It is believed that whenever someone dies, a new place is freed up for a ghost to rebirth into the earthly realm again. So in an attempt to speed up this process, ghosts will try to drag away and drown people in pools. Some may even go as far as avoiding travelling by sea, as the spirits may try to cause mishaps with ferries and cruise ships. You definitely don’t wanna be hanging around Bedok Reservoir during this time.
Don’t sit in the front row at getai performances
Aside from food, it seems that ghosts love a good show too, so you might’ve come across one of those Chinese getai performances in previous years. And while the performances are free, make sure to not plant yourself in the front row of seats. Who do you think they’re reserved for? If you sit there, you may be unwittingly sitting in the lap of a now-angry ghost; and more importantly, you’ll be offending the people who believe that their relatives are visiting them during the Ghost Month.
That said, there won’t be any live getai performances this year due to Covid. Instead, they’ll be livestreamed on sites like Zhong Yuan Festival.
Don’t snap selfies or take photographs
Cameras are said to “trap” spirits so if you want to avoid ghostly figures or extra “people” in your photos, keep that phone away. This belief was exacerbated during the days of film photography when developed pictures would oftentimes have unfathomable, ghostly images.
Likewise, don’t snap photos of offerings you chance upon, no matter how grand or Instagrammable they are. Not only is it rude, but you might also bring home unwanted company. You should never touch the offerings, accidentally or not.
Don’t get married
The Ghost Month is considered an inauspicious time for weddings and marriages. Weddings that take place during this month are believed to be destined for failure because of jealousy and bad curses from bitter ghosts. And frankly, planning a wedding is stressful enough. Who needs that extra pressure, especially from wandering spirits?
Don’t wear red
It seems that ghosts also have strong opinions on fashion: along with no red clothing, women should also avoid wearing high heels. Red are thought to be especially enticing to ghosts, so you are more likely to attract unwanted attention. As for high heels, the belief is that by having one’s feet elevated from the ground leaves them open to being possessed by spirits through the energy point below the ankles. Keep those red clothes and high heels for CNY or Christmas instead!