Ghost Festival
The Ghost Festival ( Chinese 鬼節 / 鬼节 , Pinyin guǐjié , W.-G. kui chieh , Jyutping gwai 2 zit 3 ) is the slang term for a traditional festival that is cultivated by the Chinese in China and abroad . It falls on the 15th day of the seventh month according to the Chinese lunar or peasant calendar , i.e. mostly the full moon day in August according to the Gregorian calendar of the west .
In general, the so-called “ghost festival ” in Chinese society is usually called the Ullambana festival - 盂蘭盆 節 / 盂兰盆 节 , yúlánpén jié , yülanp'ên chieh , Jyutping jyu 4 laan 4 pun 4 zit 3 - or as the Zhongyuan festival - 中元 節 / 中元节 , zhōngyuán jié , chung-yüan chieh , Jyutping zung 1 jyun 6 zit 3 - denotes.
The roots of the spirit festival lie in Buddhist Ullambana and Taoist - Confucian traditions of China. For Buddhists it is one of the most important festivals of the year.
According to Chinese tradition, the seventh month is colloquially known as the “ghost month ” ( 鬼 月 , guǐyuè ), because according to popular belief, the spirits and souls of the dead come to earth from the underworld . The ghost festival is the culmination of a number of ceremonies during the ghost month. This includes putting food in front of houses and burning hell money as an offering for the spirits and souls of the deceased. Often one also lets paper boats and lanterns float on the water, which are supposed to show the spirits and souls the direction to the hereafter after their visit to this world . In some traditions of China, temporary theater or opera stages are set up and opera troupes are invited on site to provide entertainment for the living and dead souls. There are also - depending on the ethnic group - sometimes active traditional sporting competitions for the folk festival.
In Korea the festival is called Baekjungnal - 백중날 , short 백중 RR baekjung , Hanja 百 中 - or Jungwon - 중원 , Hanja 中元 MC chungwŏn -. In Japan , the counterpart of the ghost festival Obon festival - also called O-bon - is celebrated today due to the calendar reform of 1872 at the beginning of the Meiji period (1868–1912) according to the western calendar on July 15.
In Vietnam , the day of wandering souls is celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month . In Thailand this festival is also called Por-Tor-Festival and u. a. celebrated on Phuket . As in other countries with similar customs in Taoist , Confucian or Buddhist tradition, dishes are set up, especially red cakes in the shape of turtles.
- Various traditions of the spirit festival - Ullambana festival - Zhongyuan festival
Temporary opera stage - sports field, Shatin 2009
Temporary sacrificial age - village, Peng Chau 2009
Temporary Sacrifice Age - Sports Ground, Sai Ying Pun 2017
Chin. Lotus lanterns, 2006
Temporary sacrifice age - downtown, Taiwan 2017
Offerings - Ullambana, Hsi Lai Temple USA 2006
Bonbune - 盆 船 - Obon soul ships , Katori 2011
Matsuri Parade - Obon Preparation, Japan 2018
Baekjung Festival - 백중날 baekjungnal , Miryang 2009
See also
Web links
- Georg Milz - Zhongyuan Jie - Chinese Ghost Festival - Article of the Bavarian Radio from October 21, 2019
- Hong Kong Observatory - Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Conversion Table (Chinese, English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Georg Milz: Chinese Ghost Festival. In: Bayerischer Rundfunk . October 21, 2019, accessed July 6, 2020 .
- ↑ Sebastian Prestele: Hungry Ghosts in Phuket - The Por Tor Festival. In: phuketastic.com. September 3, 2013, accessed January 21, 2017 .