Ghost Festival
On the 14th night of the July Lunar month, it is the Chinese tradition which is called Ghost Month. Taoism named it as (中元節): pinyin: (Zhōngyuán Jié),Buddhism named it as (盂蘭節): (pinyin: Yúlán Jié).
According to legend, in the Ghost Month, ghosts and spirits come out from the lower world to visit earth. It is the climax of a series of the Ghost Month celebrations. Traditional activities on that day had to prepare ritualistic offering food, burn hell money to please the visiting ghosts and spirits as well as deities and ancestors. Other activities include burying and releasing miniature paper boats and lanterns on water, which signifies "giving directions to the lost ghosts" as well as to prevent them for hurting mortals on earth. Thus, most southern in China have to practise the general mores.
11 Comments:
Over here in Malaysia, the Buddhist/Taoist Chinese also practise this. Even TV stations show ghost stories. One of them shown was "A Chinese Ghost Story" Part 1 starring Leslie Cheong and Joey Wong. Nice movie but rather eerie watching it that late at night. I watched it for only half an hour and turned it off. Strangely, after midnight, there was rainfall and howling winds. Had to pull my covers higher. haha! Scaring myself.
Happy:
Ha…ha…ha…I assure if your sweet-heart accompanied you to watch this horrible story, sure you don’t have to full cover your head.
You know, I am a chicken-hearted people. I really scare to watch that sort of movies or TV programs. I’ve been received an e-mail maze game from my best net-friend. There were three levels had to pass, finally a very eerie spirit came out on the p.c. screen. I scared and shouted. Huh…too bad of my friend. I will revenge on him one day. :_:
PP, maybe you should try watching the Japanese movie "Ju-On" (呪怨)...and then try getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.
He he he he he he he.... >:-D
MM, thanks but no thanks! I don't want to scare myself with any memory of such stuff. I remember watching one that had something to do with the toilet bowl and from then on, I have this phobia of toilet bowls. eeeeeewwwww!
PP, sweetheart?? Nice thought.
Moody:
NO…No…no!!!!
Never to watch that!!!!
You are even worse and naughty than my best net friend (k.m.) T︵T
Actually, I think our naughtiness level is about the same...
Aw, don't cry! That has to be womankind's most insidious weapon, and I have no immunity!!!!
I always enjoy Obon. In Hawaii it meant special memorial services and a dance every weekend at a different Buddhist temple. There is a Bon dance near us Tuesday night and I am looking forward to it. We also make offerings at the graves of K's family members at this time down at the local temple.
Thanks for a nice post about a time that is important in many ways to Asian cultures.
My family observed the Japanese Bon traditions today. We paid our respects and left offerings and incense at the family graves (which my wife and I broke our backs cleaning a few days ago...and I also cleaned the temple steps and walkways for good measure...). Then we came home and lit a "fire of summoning" to call the ghosts of the ancestors home. After that we went to households who lost a member during the past year to pay our respects and give an offering.
Now we'll apparently spend the next few days with the ghosts of our ancestors staying with us in our house. (I'll let you know if I have any interesting dreams...)
It doesn't look like they're going to have a Bon dance at the nearby grade school this year, though. A pity. I always enjoy those.
Panda & Moody:
Interesting! Different custom celebrated it in various ways in the same Festival.
Panda: I expect for your coming post about Bon dance and would like to see some photos about it.
Moody:
You and your family are good descendants, I think your ancestors would bless and bring good luck to all of you.
(I'll let you know if I have any interesting dreams...)
I hope it will be a good dream..:-)
MM, grave-sweeping time for the Taoist Chinese would be in the third lunar month somewhere in April. We clean the grave and leave offerings and incense like the Japanese do.
Only sons and his family (of wife and offspring) and unmarried daughters visit the grave. Married daughters would be going to their husband's parents' graves. Also, if there is more than one sibling, it is the norm for all to go to the grave at one time as it is believed to be inauspicious for the one going later if separate visits are made.
This is being practised in Malaysia. I don't know about Macau or Hkg.
MM, Pandabonium, the Obon dance practice sounds like fun. Is this the same as the Bon Odori or something similar? Here in KL, the Japanese community gathers for this occasion. Even locals join in for the fun. I haven't had the chance to though but a colleague used to join.
Happy:
你所講的是中國傳統的節日(清明節). 人們往掃墓的形式大致和日本,馬來西亞差不多. 因為日本的節日多由中國傳入.
在澳門, 側視乎你的家庭是否很傳統的習俗, 一般家庭都會在正日那天去掃墓.
但如果某些人不是那麼守舊時, 可以之前幾天去的.
一般來講, 現在澳們的人都不是那麼守舊. 如果出嫁了的女士, 她們除了去丈夫那邊去掃墓外, 亦會去自已家去拜祖的.
傳統及保守的中國人家庭, 他們在掃墓時有先前後次序輪流拜祖先的: 首先由家中最年長的男士…依此到最年輕的男輩, 然後到已婚的女長輩, 如此類推…
哈..哈…如果那個家族是多成員時….要排很長的隊伍…
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