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The hungry ghost festival (Zhongyuan jie ä¸å…ƒç¯€) is a month-long Buddhist and Taoist celebration in China where people pay their respects to dead family members and ancestors. It’s held on the 14th and 15th night of the 7th month of the Chinese calendar also known as the ghost month (鬼月). Southern China celebrates one day earlier because they were trying to avoid getting caught by enemies back when the states were inconstant war. It is believed that on the first day of the Ghost Month, the Gates of Hell open and spirits are released to visit the world of the living. Because they roam the earth, they also need sustenance, entertainment, and money expenditures. As such, individuals and social groups spend a lot of time and resources to prepare offerings to these spirits. People burn joss paper items, incense, money, and food to pay respect to their ancestors and appease the ones who are left wondering.
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It somewhat resembles what we know as Halloween in the western world, “a time when ghosts and spirits arise, the night is aglow with lanterns, and children scramble for candies and treats”.
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Throughout the month, many communities in Asia host celebrations, cook food and stage traditional Chinese operas for both the living and the dead to enjoy. The main ceremony starts at dusk where people put the family’s ancestral tables with old paintings and photos, and then burn incense near them. It is believed that the scent of burning incense calms the human spirit. The same effect is believed to have an effect on these roaming spirits, for it is also considered a form of food to the deities in Taoism and Buddhism. This connection serves as a notice to the deity that he or she is being respected.