Folks, It's That Time of Year Again: the Chinese Spooky Season Starts Today

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Today, Aug. 4, is the start of the Chinese Hungry Ghost Month.

Aug. 4 until Sept. 2 is the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar. Chinese people of the Taoist or Buddhist faiths believe the gates of Hell are open during this period, and hungry ghosts wander the earth in search of food and entertainment.

At this time, Chinese communities burn ghost money and ghost goods—such as paper-mache cars, cell phones, houses and jewelry—to ensure their ancestors are well taken care of in their afterlife.

If you’ve read up to Book #4 (The Four Perils) of my Geomancer’s Apprentice series, you’ll know yin energy (as opposed to yang energy) is dominant now, which is attractive to ghosts.  

The Hungry Ghost Festival falls on the 14th or 15th day of the month. This year it’s Aug. 18. On that day, some people will serve large feasts on offering tables for the dead. Some cultures also light lanterns in the shape of lotus flowers and release them on rivers and other bodies of water. As they float away, the lanterns help guide the dead back to where they belong.

Festival day is also the time in which the wall between the world of the living and the ghost realm is thinnest, so beware.

Ghost Month is generally considered a period of bad luck, so there are some things you should avoid doing. Don’t start a major business operation, and try to postpone major events such as weddings or medical procedures.

I repeat this list every year, so you may already be familiar with other “don’ts”:

  • Don’t swim at night or drowning victims might decide they need a friend and drag you under.

  • Don’t answer if you hear someone calling your name in the middle of the night.

  • Don’t summon spirits (keep the ouija board in the closet). This is the time when the spirits are strongest.

  • Don’t stick your chopsticks in your bowl of rice or spirits might mistake the food for one of their offerings.

  • Don’t leave your front door open at night in case something wanders in that you don’t want.

  • Don’t kill any unusual insects that enter your house. It may be your ancestors paying a visit.




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