What Is The Hungry Ghost Festival All About?

Photo by Galen Crout

It piques the curiosity of all new arrivals to Singapore. Stacks of money burning in wire bins outside shops, homes and businesses. Feasts of fruit, cakes and even suckling pig laid out overnight on the footpaths. Pre-COVID, you also would see a stage pop up in a street or carpark, with rows of plastic chairs laid out. Nightly shows could get quite raucous and run into the wee hours.

The Hungry Ghost Festival is kind of like the Chinese version of Day of the Dead - a time to honour deceased loved ones. It’s in full-swing right now and this year, we decided to learn and share a bit more about it.

What happens during the Hungry Ghost Festival?

It’s believed that for the month of the Hungry Ghost Festival, spirits of the dead roam the earth, and will cause mischief if they’re ignored or unhappy.

According Taoist and Buddhist beliefs, the dead cannot be granted access to heaven until they have faced ten courts of judgement by the Gods. If they aren’t given a pass to heaven, they remain in hell, and pay the world of the living a visit in the seventh month of the lunar calendar (which is now).

The offerings you see around Singapore - like food, money and paper depictions of material objects - are intended to appease the spirits so they leave you alone. 

What is the meaning behind the offerings?

The money you see being burned is not Singapore dollars, but is known as “hell money”, and it’s for deceased loved ones to use while they are waiting to pass into heaven. Paper offerings depicting material comforts, like houses, cars, clothes, and even credit cards or luxury brands are also burned, allowing the spirit to use and find enjoyment from these items when they return to the land of the dead. 

The joss sticks (incense) you see burning beside offerings are meant to open up communication between spirits of the deceased and the world of the living.

You might notice that some food offerings look like a whole dish - like char kway teow - while others are an assortment of oranges and steamed buns.

As Tatler Asia writes, generally, an offering to a deceased family member will comprise their favourite dishes. Meanwhile the wandering spirits with no family are generally offered steamed buns, rambutans and vegetable dishes.

The Tatler article goes on to explain that you might notice that some dishes have three sets of everything - three bowls of rice, three sets of chopsticks, three drinks. These represent the three realms of heaven, earth and the underworld.

And bear in mind that if you serve meat to the spirits once, you’ll have to keep it up every year, otherwise you risk upsetting the spirits.

Once they’ve finished eating, the spirits also like to be entertained, which is where the neighbourhood performances come in. Called “getai” these can be anything from ancient tales, to stand up comedy and talent shows. This year, getai remain virtual, with families and their spirits watching from home. Hopefully they can take place again in 2022, and if they do, you might notice the front row of seats is always unoccupied. Well, not occupied by anyone you can see! They are reserved for the spirits.

Photo by: Galen Crout

When is it?

The seventh month of the lunar new year, which this year is from the 8th of August until the 6th of September, with this coming weekend this most important of the festival.

Should I avoid doing anything so I don’t offend anyone during this period?

Well, it’s not so much to cause offense, but you should avoid hanging out your clothes at night, as their shadowy shapes can attract spirits, who might even wear them for the evening. Singing or whistling at night, and muttering to yourself can also draw them over.

TimeOut shares this guidance to avoid disturbing the spirits. They say you’ll also want to avoid alleyways, water, like the sea and reservoirs, and the last bus home at night, as these are party hotspots for the spirits. And definitely don’t step on any of the offerings - you could experience the full wrath of the spirits if you do.

This list of things to be aware of by Honeycombers includes such advice: don’t photograph offerings as you can trap the spirits on your screen, don’t wear red during the month, as it attracts the wandering souls, don’t renovate your home as it can awaken any spirits that live in it, and don’t kill any moths or insects, as they could be a spirit reincarnated.

Where can I experience the Hungry Ghost Festival this year?

Walk around housing estates and small businesses and you’ll probably see some of the wire bins, offerings and maybe even a burning of paper offerings taking place. Unfortunately this year you can’t see the getai performances that would usually take place in the heartlands and some central public areas, but you can visit the Taoist temple Lorong Koo Chye Sheng Hong Temple in Paya Lebar, to absorb some of the atmosphere (adapted to Covid of course). A visit to Haw Par Villa will school you on Taoist and Buddhist beliefs about the afterlife. Right now you can wander around some of the wild outdoor exhibits, but you’ll have to wait until October 2021 until the doors to its much-anticipated Hell’s Museum open.