There are no ghosts on the night of the Ghost Festival. Folks believe that the gates of hell are opened during the Ghost Festival, so dead relatives will come to pick them up. This is actually a feudal statement. During the Ghost Festival, or Ghost Festival, ancestor worship is more about remembering the dead and ancestors, and a series of activities carried out to express best wishes to the deceased ancestors. The Hungry Ghost Festival evolved from the harvest harvest in the ancient half of July and the ancestor worship in autumn. Every year on the 15th or 14th day of the seventh lunar month.

Introduction to the Hungry Ghost Festival

The Hungry Ghost Festival is the name of Taoism. The secular folk festivals are called July 15th and July 14th. They are festivals for worshiping ancestors. The Buddhist festival is called Lan Bon Festival. The main festival customs include ancestor worship, river lanterns, worship of the dead, burning paper ingots, land sacrifices, etc. Its birth can be traced back to the ancient worship of ancestral gods and related festivals. The Hungry Ghost Festival has many names, such as Official Festival, Lanpen Festival, and Half-July Festival. As an ancient folk festival to worship ancestors, it was not until the Eastern Han Dynasty that Taoism renamed it Zhongyuan. In the Tang Dynasty, the Hungry Ghost Festival became popular and gradually became an officially recognized festival, which continues to this day.

Taboos of the Ghost Festival

1. Hanging wind chimes on the bedside: Wind chimes can easily attract good friends.

2. Night travel: People with a light personality must not travel at night, otherwise they will only ask for trouble.

3. Burn ghost paper on non-specific occasions: burn ghost paper to good brothers, and burn gold paper to gods. Burning ghost paper will only attract more good brothers.

4. Stealing sacrifices: These are foods that belong to good brothers. If you use them without your brother's permission, it will only bring you bad luck.

5. Whistle: Whistle at night, be careful if your good friends like it.

6. Swearing: Don’t curse at night. Try to give them code names so that they will not be remembered by good brothers.

The historical development of the Ghost Festival

According to historical records, ancestor worship in autumn has existed since the pre-Qin period. The custom of worshiping ancestors in the seventh month is a product of local culture, and the inclusive festivals and customs are intricate. It is not only a folk festival for worshiping ancestors in autumn, but also a Taoist Ghost Festival and a Buddhist festival for orchid pots. It is a three-in-one festival for lay people, Taoists and monks. In the seventh month of the lunar calendar, when crops are ripe, some places in our country have had the tradition of holding ancestor worship ceremonies at this time since ancient times. The ancients worshiped their ancestors during the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. In July, they offer newly harvested fruits, vegetables, millet and other grains, which they call "Autumn Taste", also known as "Recommend New Things" and "Taste New Things", which means to let their ancestors taste new things in autumn.