Kim Doyeon /Festival /Tue 9am

Hungry Ghost Festival   Burned debris was everywhere. Black smoke went up in the air. I wondered what was going on. Looking around, I found out that was from people who were burning some pieces of paper. Being quite accustomed to Singaporean’s religious culture, soon I guessed that was a part of ceremony or something. Later, I heard from a friend of mine that it was a ritual performed by Chinese Taoists and Buddhists in many countries. Since I had not had any chance to see those rituals in Korea, I was thrilled to know about the whole festival.   Hungry Ghost Festival is for Chinese people to pay respect to their deceased ancestors on the Ghost Day of Ghost Month. It falls on the fifteenth day of seventh month in lunar calendar. They believe on that day, the ghosts of their ancestors come down to this world to visit their descendants. Those ghosts are also believed to the ones who never have been paid proper tribute when they died. So Chinese people prepare rituals as a way of showing their homage and easing the suffering of the deceased. It might seem odd to people from different culture and I also felt it a bit strange at first but after knowing the origin, I realized basically it came from filial affection towards one’s ancestors just like Koreans worship ancestors by performing certain rituals.   To prepare for the ritual, first, it is need to buy some props. Among those, there are joss sticks (fake money), ritualistic food and incense for burning. People even burn paper houses or cars as they believe those fake things can be used in the afterlife world. So those things are all brought out to the street and placed on it. Due to the government regulation in Singapore, you have to burn those only at designated spaces nowadays. Still, the fume and debris of the burned material are unavoidable everywhere and it could be a contributing factor of air pollution. As a foreigner, I found it unpleasant at first, but after experiencing the festival for a few times I became to appreciate it.   Then, a scrumptious meal is served for the family and shared by family members just like a typical ceremonial day in any other cultures. One unique thing about it is they leave some seats for the deceased as if they are with them. In some area, even there might be a performance to ease the spirits and the first row seats are always reserved for them. Again, I appreciate it as a way of respecting their ancestors.   In Chinese culture, Hungry Ghost Festival is not only to perform a ritual for the ghosts but also to have a chance to think about their ancestors and origins so that they do not take it for granted what they enjoy today. It might seem strange and distant to people who are not used to the culture but after looking into the procedures, you will understand more what they really want from it.