What You Should Not Do During This Hungry Ghost Festival Month ?
( Food Related Only )
Photo Credit to Flickr / Alan Yeh
The Hungry Ghost Festival, also known as Chik Guek Pua (In Hokkien) is a Traditional
Chinese Festival which celebrated by the Chinese which is Buddhist or Taoist in
many Countries. In the Chinese Calendar, the Hungry Ghost Festival falls on the
15th Night of the Seventh Lunar Month where it is the time the gates
of Hell are opened for a full month for Spirits & Souls, aka “Good Brother”,
to get a Special Holiday Break from
suffering in the Hell.
The meaning of “Hungry Ghost Festival” implies where this “Good
Brothers” come out from Hell is to find something to Eat, Entertainment,
possibly Souls to replace them at the place they died or to take Money (burn
joss paper) from people who pray and do some Food/Fruits/Joss Paper offering during
this month.
Photo credit to Sam Tsang
[ What you Shouldn't Do during Hungry Ghost Festival - Food Related Only ]
[ What you Shouldn't Do during Hungry Ghost Festival - Food Related Only ]
(1) Do not disturb/step/kick or play
around with the Food & Drinks which was put together with Joss Stick or candle burning along the roadside. That’s someone’s DINNER !
(2) Do not go to a
place where it is too dark & romantic to have your Dinner. I bet you don’t want
any uninvited guests to accompany you during your dinner together.
(3) Do not go out to
have your Dinner after 10.00pm. They said it’s the time for the Spirits to go
Clubbing as that time they believed to grow stronger at night especially after
the Sun Sets.
(4) Do not take
Photographs or Selfie during the Night time of 7th Month but YES you
can take photo of the Food you eat !
(5) Do not Whistle to
ask the waiter to come to take order at night. Call the Waiter using his/her
name/nickname or using Boss/Bro ! Mahu Order lah…
(6) Do not eat something
smelly or with a Strong Smell like Belacan during night time. Some Spirits
loves strong smell Food which can attract them to come to you.
(7) Don’t wear red clothes
if you wanna go eat. In Chinese Culture, Red is the colour which is most
attractive to the ghost.
(8) Don’t smash or kill
Flies in your home. This is from the belief that your ancestors may reincarnate
as a flies or any different animals and come back to visit you.
(9) Do not use your
Chopstick to hit your Rice Bowl/Plates when you eat. Doing this is to attract
or calling this spirits to come to eat. DINNER TIME !!
(10) If you are eating
Durian and suddenly you smell fragment flower smells around you, Do not Comment
!
"Believe it or not, I don't know ! Be respectful but don't overly Superstitious"
"You can do it if you don't believe. Do at your own Risks. Good Luck !"