The first day of the seventh lunar month in 2009 will fall on August 20th. The seventh lunar month is also known as the “Hungry Ghost Festival”. The Chinese believe that during this month, the gates of hell will be opened to free the hungry ghosts. These ghosts wander the streets, and the Chinese make offerings to the Dead to appease them and ward off back luck. In this post, SGTOP10 brings to our readers some spooky facts about the Hungry Ghost Festival and how the Chinese Singaporeans “celebrate” it.
Warning : Not suitable for the faint hearted.
Dark colored Finger Nails
During the 7th month, it is not advisable for Ladies to paint their nails with dark colors because dark colored nails are associated with dead people. So ladies please if you have to visit the manicure centre, choose a light color coat for this month.
Avoid Trees and Bus Stops
It is usually dark and cool under the shade of trees and bus stops. It is believed that these “things” will usually rest in these types of cool, shady places. If you have “good” luck on a visit to a cool bus stop or tree shade, “it” may follow you back home. Do you have an extra bed for them?
No swimming
People who are drowned in pools are believed to revisit the pool during the 7th month. The goal of their return is to find a scapegoat to take over their position in hell so that they can go “reincarnate”. So children, don’t swim during the 7th month!
Excessive Burning
You will see many Chinese burning offerings to the dead, usually at the void deck. To prevent fire hazards, the government has also set up designated areas around the neighborhood for residents to make their offerings. These offerings are made by burning fake money notes, and sometimes, you will see paper houses, paper maids and such. Most of the offerings happened on the 1st, 15th and last day of the 7th month.
Come home early
Parents set curfews for their children during the 7th month because they believe ghosts can possess children easily, and there will be a lot of wandering ghosts on the streets. Are you one of those who needs to be home before the sun sets? Please share with us your experiences!
Say No to Renovation and New Business
Some believe that moving into new homes, doing renovation or opening businesses in the 7th month is inauspicious and will bring bad luck.
No Marriage
Hotel banquet reservations usually drop during the seventh month. Most couples do not like to get married during this month, because their parents believed that doing so would lead to a marriage full of bad luck and misfortune, with an unhappy ending. However, some couples who are not superstitious will still continue to hold their wedding ceremony during the 7th month. It will be easier for them to get the dates they wanted, and many times the rates are cheaper than the rest of the year. Do they need to have a couple of tables emptied for the uninvited guests?
Take note when staying in hotels
Hotels are considered to be very spooky. I too had some experiences with uninvited hotel guests a few years back. During the 7th month, this spookiness will increase. To ensure you have a pleasant stay, some suggest that you knock on the door before you enter the room for the first time. Some even suggest that you should keep the toilet door closed when you go to sleep and flush the toilet bowl FIRST before using it.
Watch out for altars on the Ground
During the Lunar 7th month, there will be a lot of praying items and temporary altars placed by the roadside, and these are all meant for the “thing”. If you accidentally step on them, it is better that you apologise to them. You definitely do not want to enrage them.
GeTai
During the 7th month, you will see a lot of roadside concert shows. Chinese call them “GeTai” . You will also see Chinese opera shows. Chinese believe that the dead will return to visit their living relatives during this month, and thus they must prepare some entertainment for them. These events are only held at night, and also serves to entertained the wandering ghosts. You will notice that the front rows are always empty; that is because they are meant for our “VIPs” ….
Below is a video of a Getai performance in 2008
Do you have any experiences to share with us in the month of the Hungry Ghosts? We would love to hear from you!
It’s tonight???
No wonder my senses going haywire
Great post. I’ve been looking for this exact information for a while now. Bookmarked!