The Hungry Ghost Festival

The 7th month on the Chinese Lunar Calendar marks the beginning of the Hungry Ghost festival. Taoists believe the that hungry ghosts are souls of people that did not find everything they needed to survive in their after life. For one month each year the gates of hell are thrown open and the souls of the retched are allowed to roam the physical world at will and feed off of the living. The ghost will scare people, and then draw strength and energy from the fear. To appease and distract the ghosts there are elaborate entertainments put on all over the city. People also will pray, chant, burn copious amounts of joss sticks or leave offerings of food about. People also burn effigies and offerings to send them over to their relatives on the other side so that they will have what they need to move on to their next life.

 

In this photo a roaming troupe of entertainers are dancing and drumming to distract the wandering souls of the dead. They went all around our neighborhood.

 

check singbrewer.blogspot.com/2007/08/welcome-roaming-souls.html

 

 

Done