Trifter

Here in Singapore in the month of August, signals the start of a very smoky month.

The Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated on the 15th night of the seventh lunar month according to the Chinese calendar (lunisolar calendar). The entire month in general is regarded as the Ghost month (鬼月), but the 13th day of this month is called Ghost Day. The followers believe this is a time which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from “hell” to visit the living. I still remember my grandmother warning me to behave especially during this month as there are many spirits wandering around! What a fearsome threat!

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This is a performer who is part of a troop of artists who put up a traditional Hokkien show to entertain the many spirits who roam the earth during this month.

They will pray/chant and offer food and other things to the hungry ghosts, so they will have what they need to survive and move on to their next life. Here in Singapore, we sometimes see offerings and joss sticks at road junctions as believers appease the ghosts there to watch over their children and their partners as they use that crossing daily on their journey to school or work.

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This is a time where we have to literally watch where we are walking as devotees offer their incense and food along the pavement as well.

Food offerings to the hungry ghosts.

Hungry ghosts also appear in Chinese ancestor worship 鬼法界, 鬼界 is “the realm of hungry ghosts”. Some Chinese believe that the ghosts of their ancestors return to their houses at a certain time of the year, hungry and ready to eat.

A festival is held to honor the hungry ancestor ghosts and food and drink is put out to satisfy their needs.

More food offerings prepared in a temple.

When Buddhism entered China, it encountered stiff opposition from the Confucian adherents to ancestor worship. Under these pressures, ancestor worship was combined with the Hindu/Buddhist concept of the hungry ghost. Eventually, the Hungry Ghost Festival became an important part of Chinese Buddhist life.

Monks chanting prayers outside the temple.

I remember as a child I visited Haw Par Villa in Singapore, where they showed the Ten Courts of Hell. My goodness, I was a well behaved child for a very long time after that!!

Believers burning “hell money” outside a parking lot in Singapore.

In a Chinese funeral, they burn many Hell Bank Notes for the dead. With this Hell money, the dead person can bribe the ruler of Hell, and spend the rest of the money either in Hell or in Heaven. There is a belief that once the dead person runs out of Hell money, and if he does not receive more, he will be eternally poor.

A Chinese glazed earthenware sculpture of “Hell’s torturer,” 16th century, Ming Dynasty.

A hot Naraka, one of the Buddhist Hells.

Singapore is unique in that the rituals are brought to life throughout the entire seventh lunar month. At the same time, the immigrants in Singapore have brought their own native rituals to the small island nation where the hungry-ghost month still thrives.

These are giant sized joss sticks burnt as offerings for the hungry ghosts.

These are papier-mache forms of material items to be burnt so that the loved ones can enjoy these comforts in their world.

This is The only month that the “hell gates” are opened for all ghosts to receive food and drinks as well as all other forms of offerings burnt for them.