When hell's let loose ...

Truth be told, we're not really big on festivities on our neck of the woods. There's always so much to do daily - we tend to forget that another season of festivities have arrived. The entire where the inhabitants of hell is let loose would have gone unnoticed had it not been many sightings of gigantic joss stick burnings (some 2 metres tall!), and bonfires. Infact, the Chief mistook the letting off of firecrackers around the neighbourhood recently was some sort of new fangled ritual of breaking fast i.e. "Yay! We can now eat!" (it's the Muslim's Holy Fasting month too) ... only to be informed later on that, it's the Hungry Ghost festival and the firecrackers are to ward off evil hungry ghosts.

Celebrated on the 7th Lunar Month which translates as the eighth month on the Gregorian calender, September ... (not sure how that works out but the Chief guesses if you count 7 moon cycles that would effectively brings us to middle of August and some weeks of September), the festival literally celebrates all hell breaking loose - for a month! Those who observe the festival believe that's when the hungry ghosts are let to roam the earth looking for 'food'.

An interesting superstition that the Chinese have about the festival is that it is bad to go swimming during the 7th month or stay out too late. This belief is that this leaves one open to demonic possession that may lead of injuries, sickness and even death! Needless to say, the 7th Lunar month is not considered an auspicious time to get married, start a business, move house or even to travel.

There's also a local cultural belief about the ominous howls of dogs. So you understand why our superstitious neighbours are doubly spooked when we have a howlin' good time!

Hell Notes

Traditional chinese families would celebrate this festival to remember their dead family members and pay tribute to them. At the same time, they also pray and pay tributes to other unknown wandering ghosts so that these homeless souls will not intrude into their daily life and bring along misfortunes or bad luck. They do this by burning joss sticks fake money or 'hell notes' and offer food.

Trick or Treat: Feasts for the Hungry Ghost!

Another belief among the Chinese is that the dead return to visit their living relatives during the 7th month and thus the living family would prepare a sumptuous meal for the ‘hungry ghosts’. The Chinese feel that they have to satisfy the ghosts in order to get good fortune and luck in their lives.

Chinese Opera

In Malaysia and Singapore, it is a common sight to see entertaining ‘ wayang’ or Chinese Opera and concerts performed on outdoor stages. These events are always held at night and are thunderously loud affairs with singing, screeching, dancing and performing. There is a belief that this loud entertainment would attract and please those wandering ghosts (half deaf ghosts perhaps?). Interestingly, the coveted front row seats are always left empty while the living audience are pack at the back ... You guessed it, the seats are reserved for the unseen ghosts!

Check out the paper stuff they are burning ! An entire paper condominium block?!

In addition to burning hell notes, the Chinese also do a lot of burnt offerings for their deceased - mainly paper representations of earthly material needs that the living strive to acquire in their lifetime. It's gotten quite extensive, even the Chief (who happens to be a paper enthusiast) is impressed! From paper high rise blocks (see picture), to houses, luxury cars (Mercedes Benzs!), Rolexs, flat screen TV , paper apparels ... you name it, they'll make it! The belief is, these burnt paper offerings would translate into real forms in hell - thus, providing their dead relatives a luxurious comfortable lifestyle - in hell! (?!)

Which leads us to the next curious question (a question that our fairly clueless Chief have asked her chinese side of the family) ... do all Chinese automatically end up in hell?