Spirit Festival in China ― Date, History, and Details
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Let's dive deeper into learning more about the history of Spirit Festival in China and why people celebrate or observe it.
History of Spirit Festival in China and How to Celebrate/ Observe It
The Spirit Festival is a Chinese holiday that falls on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. It is also known as the Ghost Festival, the Hungry Ghost Festival, or Zhongyuan Jie. The festival honors the spirits of the dead and offers food and gifts to appease them.
The Spirit Festival has its roots in Buddhism, which teaches that the seventh month of the lunar calendar is when the Gates of Hell open and the spirits of the dead are released to roam the Earth. To prevent these spirits from causing harm, people offer them food and gifts.
The festival is celebrated throughout China, but it is particularly popular in Hong Kong, where elaborate ghost houses are built and paper money is burned as offerings to the dead. In recent years, the festival has become more commercialized, with businesses selling everything from spirit cakes to ghost costumes.