Randy W Posted August 24, 2018 Report Share Posted August 24, 2018 (edited) from Beautiful Guangxi on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/508311242633317/posts/1356769547787478/ although some sources show it as 7/14 (Friday), others show 7/15 (Saturday) on the Chinese Lunar calendar Beautiful Guangxi added 5 new photos — feeling fantastic at 中国南宁 Nanning, Guangxi, China. 5 hrs · Quote Today is the Chinese #ZhongYuanFestival(中元节). It is a traditional festival celebrated on the 14th day of the seventh lunar month in southern China.In #Nanning,people like to eat lemon duck,fish,white cut pig's foot,Ciba to celebrate the festival. Edited January 20, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history) Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2018 According to Wikipedia, "the Ghost Festival is on the 15th night of the seventh month (14th in southern China)" Ghost Festival During this month, the gates of hell are opened up and ghosts are free to roam the earth where they seek food and entertainment. These ghosts are believed to be ancestors of those who forgot to pay tribute to them after they died, or those who were never given a proper ritual send-off. They have long needle-thin necks because they have not been fed by their family, or as a punishment so that they are unable to swallow. Family members offer prayers to their deceased relatives, offer food and drink and burn hell bank notes and other forms of joss paper. Joss paper items are believed to have value in the afterlife, considered to be very similar in some aspects to the material world, People burn paper houses, cars, servants and televisions to please the ghosts. Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2018 AKA Ghost Festival, Hungry Ghost Festival, Spirit Festival Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 from the SCMP Why you should not take selfies and should always be kind to grasshoppers: Hong Kong’s Hungry Ghost Festival explained Annual event, based on the seventh month of the lunar calendar, has origins tracing back 2,000 years to Buddhist and Taoist customs The day is also called Yu Lan, Ullambana or Zhongyuan. . . . Want to avoid the wrath – and appetite – of a hungry ghost? Here are some tips: ■ Do not go out after sunset. If you have to, try not to have others call you by name, as spirits may remember you. ■ Do not remove offerings prepared for ghosts – let alone eat or use them. ■ If you hear someone calling you from behind on the street at night, do not look back over your shoulder. ■ Do not take selfies at night as you risk strange things showing up in your photos. ■ Do not chase after dragonflies and katydids (a type of grasshopper), as they are believed to be reincarnations of some who have died. ■ Keep a lucky charm with you, such as Buddha beads, a protective talisman or a crystal. ■ Keep corridors and corners of your house bright at night by always turning on the lights. ■ Place simple incense and food offerings at the front door of your house to appease spirits. ■ Wear yellow clothes, as yellow is believed to be the colour of the light of gods. ■ Stay respectful when going to temples or passing by cemeteries. 1 Link to comment
amberjack1234 Posted August 25, 2018 Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 I liked that Randy. I am glad the wife is modern and educated enough not to believe in any of that stuff. Her germ a phobia is bad enough. I don't think that I could stand anymore. Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 16, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2019 (edited) Aug 15 this year from Goldthread The money that Chinese people burn for the dead Ashley Yue OCT 05, 2018 Joss paper burning in Hong Kong's Wan Chai district during the Hungry Ghost Festival in 1998 / Photo: Wan Kam-yan/SCMP Quote It usually begins by sticking a pair of red candles into a fruit or vegetable to create a shrine. Apples, oranges and melons are typically used. Oddly-shaped fruits such as durian and dragon fruit are avoided. To invite the spirits, a person will then light three incense sticks and bow. Conventional wisdom dictates that Guanyin joss paper, embossed with the image of the goddess of mercy, should be burned first to summon her presence. She is said to maintain order among the spirits and ensure that each gets a fair share of the tribute. Next comes the “postage fee.” These long, rectangular slips of coarse bamboo paper, paid to the courier of the afterlife, ensure the offering’s safe delivery to the spiritual world. Afterward, various forms of paper money are thrown into the fire. The most traditional is a sheet of bamboo paper with a square of gold or silver foil embossed in the middle. . . . The final pieces of paper to be burned are a ticket for the spirits to line up for their offerings and a sutra encouraging these spirits to continue in the afterlife. The entire ritual concludes with the pouring of Chinese wine and placement of rice, longan, peanuts and coins in front of the fire. The flame itself is left to die out, and the food is supposed to remain untouched because disturbing the offerings in any way is said to anger the ghosts. That said, street cleaners usually clear out any remnants of the ritual by the next day. Though the spirits might be restless, life in the real world must go on. Edited August 21, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history) Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2020 (edited) 8 things you need to know about the Hungry Ghost Festival from the SCMP falls on Sept. 2 in 2020 Edited August 21, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history) Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2021 (edited) from China Highlights - the Hungry Ghost Festival is Aug. 21 or 22 this year Hungry Ghost Festival Facts The Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month. This day falls in July or August in our Western calendar. In southern China, the Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated by some on the 14th day of the seventh lunar month. The people there are said to have begun celebrating the festival a day earlier during a time of long warfare to avoid being attacked by enemies during the inauspicious day. Edited August 21, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history) Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 31, 2021 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2021 Joss-paper Covid-19 'vaccines' have become a must-have item for Malaysia's Hungry Ghost festival as the country's pandemic dramatically worsens. from the SCMP on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/6030499343689775/ Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 12, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2022 August 12 is the 15th day of the seventh lunar month in the Chinese calendar, celebrated in China as the “Hungry Ghost Festival.” Although ghost stories were among the most popular genres of Chinese literature for nearly two millennia, contemporary Chinese are almost wholly estranged from this literary tradition. from the Sixth Tone on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/posts/pfbid0Hw86m76CEmi1gq7wtfG9GjhUyLYUPCytthPLU2JRPsqB1Runk8VDxoKNCJvfqinsl The Strange Tale of How China Lost Its Ghost Stories What’s so scary about a ghost story? Details from “Zhongshan Goes on an Excursion,” by Yuan dynasty artist Gong Kai. From the Freer Gallery of Art Quote Editor’s note: August 12 is the 15th day of the seventh lunar month in the Chinese calendar, celebrated in China as the “Hungry Ghost Festival.” If you ask the average person in China for their favorite ghost story, their answer will almost certainly be Pu Songling’s 300-year-old classic “Strange Tales From a Chinese Studio.” But push just a bit harder — which of Pu’s stories are their favorite, and what other authors do they like? — and you’ll likely be met with an embarrassed shrug. Although ghost stories were among the most popular genres of Chinese literature for nearly two millennia, contemporary Chinese are almost wholly estranged from this literary tradition. The state of contemporary horror is little better. Although adaptions of ghosts, gods, and demons from traditional literature have become reliable box office fodder, the film industry remains bound by an unspoken rule: Nothing supernatural is allowed to happen after the founding of the People’s Republic. Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2023 (edited) “There are many taboos associated with the ghost month, but me, I’d like to see a ghost – to know there’s an afterlife, or at least seek winning lottery numbers.” Read more: https://sc.mp/azdb from the SCMP on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/scmp/posts/pfbid02EWcDpsS6QWuGAy5x1Vf3egFsfSuxhLjpnBiktsRQ3TmKnMPNKJ8FaMP2w3fSFrPgl this year's update - Hungry Ghost Festival: old taboos, about swimming and answering to your name at night, messy offerings, and why I’d like to meet a real ghost This is the time in the Chinese calendar when ghosts walk among the living and need appeasing with offerings (BTW why burn paper money in the pay-by-phone era?) There are many taboos associated with the ghost month, but me, I’d like to see a ghost – to know there’s an afterlife, or at least seek winning lottery numbers Quote For adherents of folk customs and even established religions, what they believe in and the rituals they perform are never static. These have always evolved, sometimes to the extent of becoming unrecognisable from their original forms, and they will go on evolving. Different Chinese communities, both within and outside China, have their own ways of observing the Hungry Ghost Festival, but common among them all is the offering of incense and food to the unseen ghosts in our midst, which I’m sure you’ve seen in the last couple of weeks. I do wish that a little more respect could be shown to the intended recipients of the offerings, which are usually made in a slapdash manner, without even the tiniest nod to aesthetic presentation – joss sticks or candles are stabbed into fruits, meats or sweets are laid out in opened Styrofoam boxes, their lids flapping in the wind. The way these offerings are made seem to hint at a grudging resentment. It’s as if the living are telling the dead, “Go on. Feed yourselves and then go away!” Edited October 28, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history) Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 30, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 (edited) The 15th day of the seventh lunar month in China marks Zhongyuan Festival, also known as Hungry Ghost Festival. According to ancient legend, on this day, the gates of hell swing wide open, granting passage to ghosts and spirits to traverse the human realm and partake in offerings. During this ancient festival, elaborate worship rituals are conducted by people to pay homage to their departed ancestors. Zhongyuan Festival has its roots in Taoism, which categorizes elements into three types: heaven, earth, and water. These are referred to as the shangyuan (upper element), the zhongyuan (middle element), and the xiayuan (lower element), overseen by the Celestial Official, Earthly Official, and Water Official, respectively. The 15th day of the seventh lunar month also marks the birthday of the Earthly Official, which is the origin of Zhongyuan Festival. In Buddhism, this day is called Ullambana Festival, and its origins are entwined with the Buddhist tale of Maudgalyayana, or Mu Lian in Chinese, a disciple of Buddha who journeyed into hell to rescue his own mother. from the Sixth Tone on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/posts/pfbid0HJRcfn6dzgSYxwn8vL2HCyMTkmgyuiCzmtzAsqoWMbYyUkFLZNCSnJN8TgNgyzGnl Quote In Buddhism, this day is called Ullambana Festival, and its origins are entwined with the Buddhist tale of Maudgalyayana, or Mu Lian in Chinese, a disciple of Buddha who journeyed into hell to rescue his own mother. Maudgalyayana, also known as Mahāmaudgalyāyana or by his birth name Kolita, stood out as a disciple of paramount significance in the lineage of Sakyamuni Buddha and was hailed as the “foremost in supernatural powers.” His mother, driven by greed during her lifetime, fell into the realm of hungry ghosts after death. Unable to bear his mother’s suffering, Maudgalyayana harnessed his supernatural abilities to summon sustenance for her. However, as the delectable fare neared her lips, it transmuted into scorching charcoal, perpetuating her hunger. Helpless, Maudgalyayana sought refuge in the Buddha’s wisdom. The Buddha instructed him that on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, he should prepare five types of edible fruits boasting a hundred flavors, place these offerings in a vessel, and offer them to monks from all corners. By harnessing the collective power of the monks, they could bestow salvation upon the wandering spirits and ultimately rescue his mother. Maudgalyayana followed the Buddha’s guidance and liberated his mother from her anguish. Edited October 28, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history) 1 Link to comment
Randy W Posted September 1, 2023 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2023 (edited) In Pictures: Marking Hungry Ghost Festival, or Yulan Festival, in Hong Kong A look at the Hungry Ghost Festival in Hong Kong. Also known as Yu Lan Ghost Festival, it has been celebrated in Hong Kong for more than a century. Few traditions are expressed as vividly as the Hungry Ghost Festival. Every year, devotees in the city believe the gates of hell swing open for a short period of time, allowing spirits to enter the living world and roam freely until the portal closes again. During that window, many people worship their ancestors at home in a display of filial piety, while wishing for their forebears’ blessing. Others will burn incense, joss paper and sacrificial offerings on the roadside to feed and fulfil the wandering souls. This ensures the spirits are neither poor nor hungry, and appeases the grudges of those who died unjustly so they can rest in peace. See more: sc.mp/gw2b 📷️: Yik Yeung-man, Edmond So, Elson Li, May Tse, Jelly Tse #hongkong #hungryghost #seventhmonth #yulan #hungryghostfestival #tradition #culture #scmpnews #scmp from the SCMP on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/scmp/posts/pfbid02kDuoQmgJ4vPnt4GnGEHUWE1M5EsAZDauAxsbFjFHe6PgqGi17p1tVuk6JGa2dP46l Edited October 28, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history) Link to comment
Randy W Posted October 28, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2023 (edited) Costumed parades in the street, spectral drawings, and religious ceremonies illustrate how the Chinese celebrate Ghost Festival. Read more: https://ow.ly/2HcG50Q1oFL from the Sixth Tone on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/posts/pfbid06d8MHt7F4JsvrAfHcRDieSCET1mFaNn3b33vNEqFG48Pv9BYEX8YSWG3cuWF6Frjl This is a new Facebook post from the Sixth Tone, but they've posted this article before The Hungry Dead and the Envoys of Hell: China’s Ghost Festival Costumed parades in the street, spectral drawings, and religious ceremonies illustrate how the Chinese celebrate Ghost Festival. Edited October 28, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history) Link to comment
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