Chinese's Hungry Ghost Festival

Have you even heard about the Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival in Chinese language is 中元节? Yes it really happen in Chinese culture that on the 15th night of the seventh lunar month. In this month most of the Chinese is unhappy with this month because it also been called as an unclean or evil month because on thirteen night of the seventh lunar month the door of the hell is open and all the “friend” will coming out and enjoy on the reality world. This makes most of the Chinese afraid this and that, that what I heard, they say on this month, never go for swimming because those lonely “friend” will want to find it new “friend” so you might been pulled down into the river and become it ‘s “friend”. Beside that some of them say don’t take photo on the night because you might snap up some “friend” on the photo later. Most of the parent will not allow it child playing at the night because they worry their child will be saw the “friend” because children are more slightly easy to see those thing compare to the adults. And some parent will ask their children to not speaking rough words and splitting on the ground because worry it will make the “friend” angry. Will most of the Chinese will prepare ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-mâché form of material items such as clothes, gold and other stuff that it deceased like for the visiting spirits of the ancestors. The Chinese will prepare some meal that the deceased like with an empty chair in front of it bowl with the chopstick stand on the bowl, so that the deceased can enjoy it meals. Beside that so Chinese will also putting some flag on the roadside to guide them to the place they should go, so don’t you take the flag home else it will follow you home. Besides putting flag on the roadside, some of them releasing miniature paper boats and lanterns on water, which signifies giving directions to the lost ghosts and spirits of the ancestors and other deities. Will I my self also feel unhappy on this month as just on 04/08/08 I have involve in an accident that I had put it on my previous blog with the title Thank Goodness, I Still Alive. Will I not saying that accident cause by those “friends” because the spot is at the place where the Chinese graveyard is but on of the graveyard is my ancestor’s grave. Maybe it is just my driving technique not very good. In the nut shell, just be carefully in this month and watch out you mouth. God bless you.