7th Month – The Hungry Ghost Festival

Contrary to what most people think, I used to be afraid of ghosts and spirits before entering the death trade.

In fact, I was always fearful of these “beings” since young. My Dad was fond of horror movies and being exposed to them at a young age left indelible marks on my impressionable mind.

It is no surprise then when I was younger and not yet a Christian, I followed the Chinese beliefs strictly during the 7th month festival.

The 7th lunar month marks the beginning of the Hungry Ghost Festival. This is when the hell gates are said to open and spirits would roam about during this month. It is also believed that the 7th lunar month is the birthday of Yenlo Wang, the Demon King. It is quite interesting to note that this festival is widely celebrated only in Asian societies, less in Western ones.

In Singapore, be prepared to see roads lined up with fruits, tea leaves, candies and burning red candles. Be also ready to up your tolerance for less quality air during this period as there would be burning of paper products meant to be offerings for our ancestors.

For business owners, prayers to our ancestors are usually done on the 1st or 2nd day of the seventh lunar month. Food offerings and toys would be laid out at the entrance of the shop.

One representative from the shop would then “pua puay” by praying and asking if the food offered has been consumed. “Pua puay” is the throwing of a pair of wooden blocks to seek guidance in the form of a yes or no question. Wooden blocks landing on the same side would translate to a no and wooden blocks landing on opposite sides would mean a yes.

After obtaining consent that the offerings has been consumed, burning of paper products ensues.

After the burning of paper products, we can then proceed to consume the food offerings!

There are many dos and don’ts associated with the hungry ghost festival but I shall list down only some of the more salient ones. Needless to say, the don’ts far exceed the dos.

As Singapore becomes more modernised, I wonder how much of these Chinese customs would be observed by Singaporeans in time to come, especially when the younger generational folks are a lot less superstitious and more pragmatic. It might also be possible that the celebrating of this special festival takes on a modern twist where certain rites might be replaced. It is my hope however that in time to come when the future generations of Singapore look back and read this post, it provides them with an insight as to how the hungry ghost festival was celebrated in Singapore.

Till then,

Harmony Tee

PS, do tune into the video below to find out more about the Hungry Ghost Festival in Singapore!