Mid-Yuan Festival (Ghost Festival)

Thread Content

The Ghost Festival falls on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month each year, and cemeteries arrange for representatives from various burial areas to participate in the Ullambana Festival, also known as the Ghost Festival. This day is said to be a festive occasion in the underworld; hence there is a legend that while the living celebrate the Yuanxiao Festival, the dead observe the Ghost Festival. On this day, cemeteries hold various activities such as sacrifices, prayers to Buddha, cleaning of graves, reminiscences, flower viewing, and fishing as a way to celebrate. China began to follow this practice starting from the Liang dynasty, and it has since evolved into the Zhongyuan Festival. However, later on, in addition to offering meals to monks during fasting periods, activities such as confession and releasing captive birds were also added. There is a Buddhist scripture, the Ullambana Sutra, which encourages Buddhist disciples to practice filial piety, in line with Chinese traditions of honoring ancestors and remembering the dead; as a result, it became even more widespread. Shangyuan and Zhongyuan: Shangyuan Festival is the earthly version of the Lantern Festival, during which people decorate with lights to celebrate it. "Zhongyuan originates from Shangyuan. It is believed that the Zhongyuan Festival is a festival for ghosts, and lights should also be lit to celebrate this festival for them. However, humans and ghosts are different; therefore, the lantern decorations during the Zhongyuan Festival are not the same as those during the Shangyuan Festival. Humans are yang, while ghosts are yin ； Land is yang, water is yin. The underwater world is mysterious and dark, reminding one of the legendary underworld where ghosts suffer. Therefore, the lanterns are lit on land during the Shangyuan Festival, and in water during the Zhongyuan Festival. http://b.hiphotos.baidu.com/baike/s%3D220/sign=8bfd6b07b0de9c82a265fe8d5c8080d2/d31b0ef41bd5ad6ec461ebd482cb39dbb6fd3c77.jpg