review!
Ghost Festival is on the 15th night of the seventh lunar month.
seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month (鬼月),
On the fifteenth day the three realms of Heaven, Hell and the realm of the living are open and both Taoists and Buddhists would perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased
the filial piety of descendants extends to their ancestors even after their deaths
what not to do
- Do not eat the delicacies used as offerings, unless otherwise served. It may be tempting to pick up a piece of fruit at these festivals but avoid this at all cost. These offerings are meant for the spirits and urban legend has seen many cases of mysterious illness striking the people who have pinched such offerings.
- Do not sit in the front row at the Getais (entertainment venues). These are strictly reserved for the VIPs aka Hungry Ghosts.
- Try to avoid stepping on burnt offerings. Chinese believe that burning items is the only way for spirits to receive offerings in the netherworld. Hence, it is believed that the area where the burning takes place becomes an "opening" to the netherworld and stepping on such an "opening" might subject one to ghostly possession.
- Avoid swimming at night during this month. It is believed that hungry ghosts lurk in the dark waters at night, increasing the risk of drowning.
