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China Elevator Stories
Chinese Ghost Festival
The ghosts of ancestors are believed to visit their relatives on this day.
11/08/2014
Ruth Silbermayr
Author
The Ghost Festival (鬼节) falls on the 15th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar. It is said that on this day, the doors between the human and spirit worlds are wide open. Chinese folklore, Taoism, Buddhism, and even Confucianism have concepts of ghosts.
This year, the Ghost Festival was on August 10th in the Gregorian calendar. According to Chinese tradition, it’s best to stay at home after nightfall on the day of the Ghost Festival. The belief is that the ghosts of your ancestors and loved ones might want to visit you that evening.
Going out after nightfall isn’t the only thing forbidden on the day of the Ghost Festival. It is said that on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, many ghosts roam the streets, and you probably don’t want to risk giving them a chance to take possession of your body.
To ensure that the ghosts can return to the spirit world without causing harm, there are some rules to follow, according to Chinese tradition:
– Don’t pick up money you find on the street.
– Avoid calling out a person’s name after nightfall (if you are still outside).
– Don’t call someone at midnight—you might end up talking to a ghost.
– Don’t look in the mirror at midnight—you might see a ghost in the reflection talking back to you.
There are many more rules about what you shouldn’t do on this day, and some of them vary from region to region.
Have you ever heard of the Chinese Ghost Festival?