The Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, or Yu Lan is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday celebrated by Chinese in many countries. In the Chinese calendar (a lunisolar calendar), the Ghost Festival is on the 15th night of the seventh lunar month (14th in southern China).
In Chinese tradition, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month (鬼月), in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm. Distinct from both the Qingming Festival (in spring) and Chung Yeung Festival (in autumn) in which living descendants pay homage to their deceased ancestors, on Ghost Day, the deceased are believed to visit the living during the Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival (1st September 2020).
“DO NOT” Checklist after 00:00Hrs on 1st September:
1. Hang out late
2. Spit in the street or tree
3. Stare at the candlelight or burning fire
4. Step On Or Kick offering items / joss sticks along the Roadside
5. Cover up your forehead at night; always pin or put up your hair as high as possible
6. Stare at “them” if you really saw one; look or walk away calmly
7. Make funny jokes or comments on any display altar / offering items along the street
8. Look underneath the altar table when there is a prayer session
9. Shift your eyeballs from left to right or right to left repeatedly if you sensed something; always look straight and walk toward your destination calmly
10. Sniff and follow any pleasant or sweet smell ahead of you
11. Sit on the first few Front Rows of any public Chinese Operas
12. Open your umbrella at night, especially red color type
13. Wear red color costume with high heels and walk alone at night
14. Pick up any unique items found on the street or road
15. Stand Under a Tree in the middle of the night
16. Wait at The Bus Stop after Mid-Night especially already passed the bus service operating hours
17. Whistle alone at night; you may found someone singing along with you
18. Hang your clothes out in the middle of the night
19. Walk in the dark and near the walls; something maybe visible at your side view
20. Answer or respond when someone calls you, especially from behind
21. Turn your head when someone pat on your shoulders in the middle of the street
22. Use any Dark or Black color manicure
23. Comb your hair in front of the mirror in the middle of the night
24. Shout or scream in the middle of the night, stay as quiet as possible if you felt sudden coldness
25. Get emotional and cry in the middle of the night
26. Leave your bleeding wounds in a open air; always cover up the area with plasters or other bandage materials
27. Be a curious person or hero, if you hear some “strange” sound or noise, especially soft crying tone; always act blur.
28. Swim in the pool or lake in the middle of the night; something maybe waiting to pull your legs
29. Play at the playground in the middle of the night; especially the swings
30. Take up the challenge to enter cemetery area or abandoned houses