31/10/2025
Hungry Ghosts …
With Halloween just around the corner, let’s talk about the nearest Chinese equivalent: the Hungry Ghost Festival 👻
This takes place in August and although it’s based on a similar idea, it has quite a different tone to Halloween in the West.
The festival is an opportunity for people to show respect to their ancestors and to appease wandering spirits – particularly those that might be restless.
Here are a few traditions:
Offerings – people burn food and incense, and paper replicas of what an individual might need in the afterlife, such as money and clothing 🔥
Rituals – paper boats or lanterns with the names of ancestors on them are released into rivers 🏮
Practices – going out at night is avoided, to show respect and also to avoid spirits that are believed to roam … 👻
