Come August - September each year, a familiar sight fills the cities and countryside of East Asia and South-East Asian countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and Indonesia. Offerings of food litter the roadside, with joss-sticks and candles stuck to the ground or placed in small containers by the sidewalk. In some places, large makeshift altars pop up (commonly referred to as Phor Thor/Pudu celebration by locals), more often than not piled up with various food items as well as huge bundles of joss-paper as offerings - this is the Hungry Ghost Festival that the Chinese diaspora practices come the Lunar 7th month each year.
The celebration has its roots in the Buddhist Ullambana (盂蘭盆 - Pravāraṇā Day) prayers for pretas and/or departed spirits after the monks had completed their rainy season retreat), but is merged with the Taoist Zhong Yuan Di Guan Festival (中元地官节) or Zhong Yuan Festival, coupled with syncretic spirit worship. Regardless of the roots, this festival is strongly pivoted around the belief of filial piety and retribution.
The festival basically runs for the entire Chinese lunar 7th month and on this year (2019) falls on August 1 untill Aug 29, but peaks on the 14th/15th of the lunar month as well as towards the end of the lunar month. In Part 1 of this festival, we bring you the essential elements of the Hungry Ghost Festival.
1. Offerings
Food, food and more food.... plus joss paper and hell bank notes, candles and joss-sticks
2. The King of Hades and paper effigies
When the ghost are roaming about, who do you call?? The King of Hades and the Underworld deities. The effigy is a common sight in large scale Phor Thor celebration.
3. Entertainment - Traditional Opera vs Modern Getai
Traditional opera versus modern stage acts featuring scantily clad singers and suggestive gyrating moves (la mei).
4. Salvation Prayers (Chao Du)
This includes the symbolic act of Breaking the Walls of Hell (Hell is a paper fort with flimsy paper doors!!) by the priest and the sprinting of the deceased from Hell by their relatives to a ship waiting to set sail for Western Paradise.
This includes the symbolic act of Breaking the Walls of Hell (Hell is a paper fort with flimsy paper doors!!) by the priest and the sprinting of the deceased from Hell by their relatives to a ship waiting to set sail for Western Paradise.
5. Trances and spirit mediums
In some places, spirit mediums and trance sessions are part of the festival.
6. The Big Burn aka Sending Off the Deities and Spirits
All the paper effigies, unburnt joss sticks, candles, offerings plus lots of joss money are piled up and set on fire to return the King of Hades and his retinue back to where they belong as well as to send the deceased to heaven.
In some places, spirit mediums and trance sessions are part of the festival.
6. The Big Burn aka Sending Off the Deities and Spirits
All the paper effigies, unburnt joss sticks, candles, offerings plus lots of joss money are piled up and set on fire to return the King of Hades and his retinue back to where they belong as well as to send the deceased to heaven.
