Hungry Ghost Festival

Hungry Ghost Festival is held in 7th month of the lunar year, this year it was celebrated between 10th Aug and 7th Sep 2010 in Singapore. The Taoist Chinese believe that during this time, the gates of hell open for spirits to visit their living relatives. Hence, the seventh month is a time for the Chinese to reminisce and pay respects to their deceased friends and relatives. The Chinese feel that they have to satisfy the imprisoned and hungry ghosts in order to get good fortune and luck in their lives. During this time, they prepare sumptuous meals as offerings to the spirits. Hell money, candles and joss sticks (which are often deemed as food for the spirits) are also burnt as offerings. The communities also organize prayer ceremonies at their temples.

Hungry Ghost Festival or Zhong Yuan Jie is also celebrated with ceremonies at homes, associations, and guilds. Prayers are offered to the dead and offerings of food such as chicken, vegetables, fruits, bean curd and white rice are placed at street corners and roadsides to appease the spirits. This is believed to prevent the wandering spirits from entering their homes and causing disturbances in their households. Offerings are also made at Hungry Ghost Festival or Zhong Yuan Jie by burning replica money notes, which are also known as ‘hell money’. Some families also burn paper houses, cars and even paper television or radio sets to give to their dead relatives. The Chinese feel that these offerings reach the ghosts and help them live comfortably in their world.

Very often during the Ghost Festival, there are Getai performances held throughout Singapore. Getai are “road shows” held on make-shift stages where performers, often dressed in elaborated costumes, sing and entertain the spirits. These performances sometimes comprise Chinese opera performances, as well as popular hits in Chinese dialects such as Hokkien and Cantonese. Everyone is welcome to watch the show as long as you don’t sit at the front row, which is reserved for the “special guests”.

This festival is like a Chinese Halloween, only it lasts all month and it is much more spiritual. In my street there was food and stakes of burned fake money (‘hell money’) almost all month. First time I found food in the street was on 9th August, I thought someone was just messing around after the Singapore National Day but now I know it was for the hungry ghosts! At first I didn’t know about that festival and I was very surprised that there is food in the street and no one cleaned it. Singapore is such a clean place that you notice such things… Well, they cleaned the food and ashes now and my street is all back to normal… Singapore-clean!