ONCE again, many Chinese in Malaysia are geared up for the celebration of the Hungry Ghost Festival, which lasts for the whole seventh month of their lunar calendar. This is one of the biggest festive occasions for many Chinese Malaysians, and elsewhere in the world, wherever the Chinese dwell.
The festival has a long history, having been honoured over thousands of years in mainland China. According to popular legends, all the ghosts in Hell would be released on earth for that entire month. It is a belief of the Chinese that they should feed these hungry ghosts well, in memory of their ancestors. In reverence for the ghosts, all other forms of festive celebrations are put on hold. During the whole month, not a single wedding will be celebrated, and not a single new business will be opened.
Throughout the month, those observing the month will put up impromptu altars somewhere in the open space in front of their houses. There, the devotees offer food, flowers, burning incense and other gifts to the ghosts roaming in the wild.
They will do this every night until the close of the festival, which falls on the last day of the lunar month. Theoretically, the ghosts will return to Hell after that day. Every year, my neighbours get together to organise a big celebration, during this auspicious occasion. A collection plate is passed around to seek donations from devotees for the nearest temple.
Every night, there will be much praying and chanting in front of the high table of the small altar. Every year, they slaughter a whole roast pig and offer it to the hungry ghost. After the ceremony, the pig will be eaten by the devotees themselves. The whole occasion is celebrated with much pomp and ceremony. The devotees spend thousands of ringgit for such celebrations. Since terrifying ghosts are all over the place, those observing the occasion try to stay indoors throughout the month, to avoid coming across the odd unfriendly ghost.
The most moving element of the spirit of this festival is to witness how the Chinese respect the spirits and pay homage to the departed souls. It is their sense of continuity with the past, and a symbol of their respect for the supernatural world. In the traditional beliefs of Chinese legend, ghosts are just human beings that exist in a different state. So in ancient beliefs, ghosts feel hunger too, and need to be fed once a year.
This is almost unique among all the civilisations where according to most other belief systems, ghosts are usually evil and best avoided. But according to the Chinese, the tradition of feeding hungry ghosts is an extension of humanism, embodied in their concept of universal charity. These ghosts do not have the same kind of sinister connotation as present in other belief systems.
Malaysia is a multiracial society. Whatever our personal beliefs about our afterlife, mutual respect is a hallmark of Malaysian spirituality. That is how the feast of the hungry ghosts is one of the most widely celebrated festive occasions, and rightly so. This year, the arrival of the hungry ghost festival also coincides with the arrival of the fasting month, as Muslims all over the world are preparing for their celebration of the arrival of Syawal.
Let me take this opportunity to wish our Muslim brothers and sisters ‘Selamat Menyambut Bulan Ramadan’.
(This Article was written by Sim Kwang Yang in Hornbill Corner Column which was published in The Borneo Post on 4 August 2011)
The festival has a long history, having been honoured over thousands of years in mainland China. According to popular legends, all the ghosts in Hell would be released on earth for that entire month. It is a belief of the Chinese that they should feed these hungry ghosts well, in memory of their ancestors. In reverence for the ghosts, all other forms of festive celebrations are put on hold. During the whole month, not a single wedding will be celebrated, and not a single new business will be opened.
Throughout the month, those observing the month will put up impromptu altars somewhere in the open space in front of their houses. There, the devotees offer food, flowers, burning incense and other gifts to the ghosts roaming in the wild.
They will do this every night until the close of the festival, which falls on the last day of the lunar month. Theoretically, the ghosts will return to Hell after that day. Every year, my neighbours get together to organise a big celebration, during this auspicious occasion. A collection plate is passed around to seek donations from devotees for the nearest temple.
Every night, there will be much praying and chanting in front of the high table of the small altar. Every year, they slaughter a whole roast pig and offer it to the hungry ghost. After the ceremony, the pig will be eaten by the devotees themselves. The whole occasion is celebrated with much pomp and ceremony. The devotees spend thousands of ringgit for such celebrations. Since terrifying ghosts are all over the place, those observing the occasion try to stay indoors throughout the month, to avoid coming across the odd unfriendly ghost.
The most moving element of the spirit of this festival is to witness how the Chinese respect the spirits and pay homage to the departed souls. It is their sense of continuity with the past, and a symbol of their respect for the supernatural world. In the traditional beliefs of Chinese legend, ghosts are just human beings that exist in a different state. So in ancient beliefs, ghosts feel hunger too, and need to be fed once a year.
Malaysia is a multiracial society. Whatever our personal beliefs about our afterlife, mutual respect is a hallmark of Malaysian spirituality. That is how the feast of the hungry ghosts is one of the most widely celebrated festive occasions, and rightly so. This year, the arrival of the hungry ghost festival also coincides with the arrival of the fasting month, as Muslims all over the world are preparing for their celebration of the arrival of Syawal.
Let me take this opportunity to wish our Muslim brothers and sisters ‘Selamat Menyambut Bulan Ramadan’.
(This Article was written by Sim Kwang Yang in Hornbill Corner Column which was published in The Borneo Post on 4 August 2011)
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