What are the customs of the Ghost Festival~~

Chinese people all over the world know one festival: the Hungry Ghost Festival, which is the Bon Festival. But why is the Ghost Festival called the Ghost Festival? What are the taboos on the "Ghost Festival"? I'm afraid many friends are not so clear. Today I will tell you about it for your reference.

The Ghost Festival, the Bon Festival, usually falls on the 14th or 15th day of July in the lunar calendar. For this year, August 24, 2010 in the Gregorian calendar is the Ghost Festival. According to legend, every year on July 1st, the King of Hell orders the gates of hell to be opened, allowing those ghosts who have been imprisoned in hell all year round to come out of hell, wander around for a short period of time, and enjoy blood and food in the world, so people call July the ghost month. , this month is considered an unlucky month, and people neither get married nor move. On this night, in addition to worshiping their ancestors, people also prepare some dishes, wine, rice, gold, silver, clothes, paper, etc. to worship ghosts and gods at the intersection. The festivals and customs included in the Ghost Festival are relatively complex. It is not only a folk ghost festival, but also a Taoist Ghost Festival, a Buddhist Bon Festival, and a combination of monks, Taoists and secular people. Taoism has the so-called Heavenly Official, Earthly Official, and Shuiguan, collectively known as the Three Officials. These three are the representatives of the Jade Emperor sent to the human world. Every year, they inspect the good and evil in the human world and report to heaven. The birthdays of the three officials are respectively the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the fifteenth day of July and the fifteenth day of October. These three days are also called Sanyuan. The fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month is called Zhongyuan. It is the time when local officials and school officials are pardoning sins. On this day, he will take out a thick roster and, based on the performance of gods, mortals, and animals, draw outlines and pardon sins. Exemption from prison sentence. Folks carry out some sacrificial activities on the Ghost Festival to save those lonely ghosts, which should be related to the pardon of sins from local officials. July 15th is the Buddhist Obon Festival. It is said that Sakyamuni had a disciple named Mulian. Although his mother was young and beautiful, she had no good words and deeds. She loved money and was stingy, and especially hated monks. After her death, she was cast into the ranks of evil spirits. Mulian was given guidance by the Buddha. On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, prepare hundreds of flavors, five fruits, and various utensils, put them into basins, and offer them to the monks in the ten directions. Only then will his mother escape from the world of evil ghosts and ascend to heaven. In view of this, the Buddha extended it and asked Buddhist disciples to practice filial piety with all their heart. Every year on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, they make Ullambana basins and give alms to Buddha and monks to repay their parents' kindness. The significance of the Buddhist Bon Festival coincides with the Confucian filial piety, and this day has become a ghost festival for people to pay homage to their deceased parents and ancestors.

The story of Mulian rescuing his mother from disaster is widely circulated among the people:

“The monk Mulian has great magical power. His mother fell into the realm of hungry ghosts, and when the food entered his mouth, it turned into flames. The hunger pain was too great. Mu Lian could not save his mother, so he asked the Buddha for advice on how to make an Ullambana Sutra on the 15th day of the seventh month to save his mother. "On this day, he set up a temple in front of Jiekou Village. Set up the Master's Seat and Shigu Terrace. In front of the mage's seat is the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva who has saved the ghosts of "hell", and below is a plate of peaches and rice. There are three spiritual tablets and soul-calling flags standing on Shi Gutai. After noon, each household placed whole pigs, whole sheep, chickens, ducks, geese and various cakes, fruits, melons, etc. on Shigutai. The person in charge put a handful of triangular paper flags in blue, red, green and other colors on each sacrifice, and wrote words such as "Bon Lan Festival" and "Ganlu Gate Opens". The ceremony began with a burst of solemn temple music. Immediately afterwards, the mage rang the bell and led the monks to recite various mantras and mantras. Then serve, scatter a plate of noodles with peaches and rice in all directions, repeat three times. This ceremony is called "flaming mouth". Futian: At night, every household will burn incense at the door of their house and put the incense on the ground. The more the better, which symbolizes a good harvest.

Water lanterns: In some places, there is the activity of releasing water lanterns; the so-called water lanterns are just a lamp tied on a small wooden board. Most of them are made of colored paper into the shape of lotus, which is called "flood and drought lanterns". According to traditional saying, water lanterns are used to lead the way for ghosts who have died unjustly. When the light goes out, the water lantern completes its task of luring the innocent souls across the Naihe Bridge. Shi Geer: All the shops were closed that day, leaving the streets to ghosts. In the middle of the street, an incense table is placed every hundred steps, with fresh fruits and a kind of "ghost buns" on it. There was a Taoist priest behind the table singing ghost-sacrifice songs that no one could understand. This kind of ceremony is called "Shi Geer". Shangyuan Festival and Zhongyuan Festival: Shangyuan Festival is the Lantern Festival in the world. People decorate the Lantern Festival with lanterns and colorful decorations. "Zhongyuan" comes from Shangyuan. People believe that the Ghost Festival is a ghost festival, and lanterns should be put up to celebrate the festival for ghosts. However, humans and ghosts are different, so the lighting of lanterns in Zhongyuan is different from the lighting of lanterns in Shangyuan. Humans are yang, ghosts are yin; land is yang, water is yin. The mysterious darkness under the water reminds people of the legendary hell, where ghosts sink.

Therefore, the lanterns were lit on land during the Shangyuan period, and the lanterns were lit on the water during the Zhongyuan period.

So, July 14th/15th of the lunar calendar is the largest festival in the underworld - the Ghost Festival, also known as the Ghost Festival or the Bon Festival. It is one of the three important festivals in the underworld in my country. There is a folk legend that the Lantern Festival is celebrated in the human world and the Ghost Festival is celebrated in the underworld. It is said that the King of Hell will also dress up in costumes and celebrate the festival with the ghosts on that day, and let us living people bless them together, wishing that people in the other world will realize their wishes and enjoy the happiness that they have not had time to enjoy in this world. Therefore, Chinese people all over the world will hold activities such as offering sacrifices, visiting Buddha, cleaning tombs, looking back, appreciating flowers, fishing and other activities to celebrate.

July 14/15 is the day when the door of hell opens. Whether it is burning paper money to send blessings, holding daisies to express condolences, or offering sacrifices to ancestors on the Internet, or setting off river lanterns, people alive today miss the people in the past together, and send blessings to their ancestors together. Spiritual spontaneity is an extension of emotion and the most basic belief. And at the same time, "People who are alive should cherish every day they are alive, and don't be ashamed of society and friends, and don't be ashamed of relatives who have left forever. Because one day we will meet them, and when the time comes, you can be proud It is said that if you are a hero in the world, you will also be a hero in the underworld! ”