Kampung Kreepy

This traditional festival is also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day. It occurs annually on the 15th day after the spring equinox.  Qingming is a time for Chinese people all over the world to honor and thank their ancestors. They observe the festival by tidying, sweeping and/or weeding the graves of their forefathers. They also burn joss paper and incense, and make food offerings at the gravesite (or columbarium, depending on where their deceased relatives reside). According to the Chinese concept of ancestor worship, it’s important to keep your ancestors happy. The ancestors will reward you by blessing your life.  The festival is referenced in my novella Offerings for the Dead .  Read the book for free by subscribing to my newsletter!

I love folklore, and I’ve always been fascinated by folk horror. It’s a subgenre of horror that uses folklore, folk beliefs, urban legends and/or paganism to evoke fear and dread. The stories are usually set in rural or isolated areas, and themes include the clash between the old and the modern, and man versus nature.  In terms of fiction, Thomas Tryon’s 1973 novel Harvest Home is a classic. Other examples include Stephen King’s short story “Children of the Corn,” and his novel Pet Sematary . More recent gems are Adam Nevill’s The Ritual , and Andrew Michael Hurley’s Starve Acre .    As to movies, The Wicker Man springs immediately to mind. In the 1973 film (there is a 2006 remake but I prefer the creepier original), a police officer travels to the remote Scottish island of Summerisle to find a missing girl. He discovers, to his mounting horror, that the island residents practice a particular form of Celtic paganism.  More recent folk horror movies include Midsomm...

Five stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I enjoyed reading this, which I picked up because I’m curious about folk horror. The anthology is a nice mix of the old and new. The stories include those written by the old horror masters such as M.R. James, H.P. Lovecraft and Algernon Blackwood. It also features more modern writers such as Ramsey Campbell and Dennis Etchison.   It’s a good introduction to folk horror. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for something in this horror subgenre. My favorite stories in the anthology are “The Gypsies in the Wood,” “Porson’s Piece,” and “Ancient Lights.”

Did you know today, Jan. 29, is the first day of the Chinese New Year?  Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year and the Spring Festival, doesn’t start on a set date because it’s based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar. The New Year begins whenever the new moon rises between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20.  Among other traditional ways to celebrate, families gather together on New Year’s Eve for a reunion feast. Red is considered a lucky color, so people decorate their homes with red items, including lanterns and wall hangings, for the New Year. It is auspicious to wear red clothing on New Year’s Day. People also give red packets (known as “hongbao”) containing money to their kids and younger relatives to wish them luck and good fortune for the year.     2025 is the Year of the Snake, with wood as the element. In Asian belief, the snake isn’t sinister. Rather, it’s associated with beauty, wisdom and introspection. The snake is also associated with yin energy, whi...

It’s the winter solstice today. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, that means today is the shortest day of the year, and tonight will be the longest night of the year.  Many ancient cultures regarded the winter solstice as a significant event.  It kicked off the 12 nights of the Yuletide (Dec. 21 to Jan. 1) for the ancient Germans. They believed that during this time, a host of ghostly hunters known as the “Wild Hunt” would ride across the night skies. These early Germans held a Yuletide feast to secure blessings from Odin and the other gods for abundant crops and livestock in the spring. The Roman festival of Saturnalia, held around the winter solstice, celebrated the end of the planting season.  The Chinese viewed the solstice in terms of the ancient philosophy of yin and yang. Under that concept, yin’s dark lunar energy peaks during the solstice, after which yang’s bright solar energy starts to gain dominance.  The Chinese winter solstice festival—known a...

Five stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The bloodthirsty vengeance demon here is a pontianak. Being originally from Southeast Asia, a region where many still believe in such folklore spirits, I was very interested to see how author Lauretta Hignett would handle this in her series. I was pleasantly surprised, and pleased. Hignett’s take on the pontianak is funny and original, yet respectful of one of Southeast Asia’s most well-known supernatural entities. I must say I now view pontianaks in a new light. Sandy, a hairdresser who is the main character of the books, is possessed by a pontianak. When she finally realizes her husband uses her as his personal slave, she leaves him and goes to stay with her aunt in Washington, D.C. The possession allows her to see D.C.’s supernatural residents, who co-inhabit the nation’s capital with the human residents. Sandy is drawn to the Enforcer—a human police officer who is tasked with policing the supernaturals. As she helps him with his cases, they discover there is a...

Today, Sept. 17, is the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. This traditional harvest festival usually falls on—or within two days of—the night of the harvest moon.  The Chinese believe the moon at this time is the fullest and brightest of the year. It’s particularly true this year because the harvest moon is also a supermoon tonight, which means it will be especially bright because it’s nearer to Earth than usual. Not only that, you’ll get to enjoy a partial lunar eclipse as well!  Another name for the holiday is the Mooncake Festival. Mooncakes—round pastries stuffed with nuts, salted egg yolks, and bean paste or lotus seed paste—are traditionally eaten during the festival. This is a time for family and friends to gather outside for moon-gazing parties. In addition, people hang lanterns on their homes and carry lanterns to light their way to good fortune and wealth.  This was a highlight of the year when I was a child growing up in Singapore. Stores in Singapore would stock pap...

Today, Aug. 18, is the Hungry Ghost Festival, the midpoint of the Hungry Ghost Month when the wall between the world of the living and the realm of the dead is thinnest …  In the spirit of the festival, I thought I'd share an excerpt from my short story “Joss Paper,” about a young woman who is fascinated by the Chinese ritual of offering property and money to the dead during this month. The story is an homage to W.W. Jacobs’s iconic short story “The Monkey’s Paw.” “Joss Paper” is in my collection of ghost stories, titled Joss Paper And Other Horror Stories . The stories are set in Southeast Asia and the U.S., and based on Asian folklore and beliefs. The stories have a Tales From the Crypt vibe ... Please check the book out if you’d like a chill in your summer. The stories are also available to read for free on Amazon's Kindle Unlimited service.  BTW, I highly recommend “The Monkey’s Paw” if you haven’t read it. Masterful, atmospheric, and creepy as heck. The story is reproduc...

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 14 th or 15 th 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. ...

Today, Feb. 24, is the Chinese Lantern Festival. The holiday occurs on the 15 th day of the Lunar New Year. It marks the first full moon after the start of the New Year, and also signals the end of New Year celebrations. The festival traditionally was observed by people hanging red paper lanterns on their houses. Riddles were written on the lanterns. You were rewarded with a lantern or a small gift if you solved one of the riddles. In the old days, the holiday also was a chance for young ladies—who rarely were allowed out of the home—to light a lantern and walk outside, hopefully to meet a beau. The Lantern Festival should not be confused with the Mid-Autumn Lantern or Mooncake Festival, which celebrates the harvest and falls on Sept. 17 this year. The Lantern Festival now is celebrated in different ways by Chinese communities around the world. Some locations in the U.S., including Washington, D.C., hold lantern displays. There are many legends associated with the origin of the f...

Today, Feb. 10, is the first day of the Lunar New Year, kicking off the Year of the Wood Dragon! To celebrate, I thought I'd explain what Chinese dragons are, and the differences between Chinese and Western dragons. In Chinese mythology, dragons are divine beings that are both wise and benevolent. They also signify power, authority, luck and good fortune. They represent leaders and warriors. In the olden days, dragons were thought to control bodies of water, floods, typhoons and rain. The Chinese emperors were believed to be the descendants of dragons. The dragon is the only mythological creature in the Chinese zodiac. It is also the most popular of the 12 zodiac animals. People born in Dragon years have strong leadership qualities. Differences between Chinese and Western dragons: Chinese dragons don’t have wings, although the male dragons fly. don’t breathe fire. don’t hoard treasure. Instead, they control bodies of water, floods, typhoons and rain. don’t have a bad rep. Chinese d...

Today, Oct. 19, is the 159 th anniversary of the Battle of Cedar Creek, which took place about 20 miles from my home. The battle was decisive in routing the Confederates and preventing them from traveling through the Shenandoah Valley to threaten the Union capital of Washington, D.C. There was a high toll for that victory. Hundreds of Union and Confederate soldiers were killed, and thousands more wounded. I’ve walked the site of the battle, which is now a peaceful field with a view of busy I-81. According to local lore, however, the dead were still fighting after the war was over (see, for example, The Ghosts of Virginia by L.B. Taylor Jr.) There were sightings of ghostly squads. People living in the area heard gunfire on the battlefield and the thunder of hooves even though there was no man or horse in sight. A nearby Episcopal church that was turned into a hospital during the battle also was reputedly haunted. Long after the dead were buried or taken away, locals continued to h...

Today, Sept. 29, is the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Mooncake Festival. This traditional holiday falls on the night of a full moon that coincides with the fall harvest. The moon on this night is believed to be at its brightest and fullest for the year. The festival is associated with the moon goddess Chang’e, who also is the goddess of immortality. Chang’e was the wife of Hou Yi, a legendary archer. According to one version of the myth, there was a year when 10 suns rose in the sky, which led to disaster and great suffering. To save the people, Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns, leaving one. The archer was made king after this heroic feat. Hou Yi’s ego grew, and he became a tyrant. He eventually approached an immortal and asked for the elixir of immortality so he could cheat death. Chang’e, fearing that her husband would rule forever with an iron fist, stole the elixir and drank it. Hou Yi shot at his wife to stop her. She escaped by flying up to the moon, where ...

One of the things I like about urban fantasy is finding magic in the most unexpected places. Well, what if magic were everywhere? It is in some places. I introduce you to … the spirit houses of Southeast Asia. Many Asian cultures believe nature and places are rife with spirits who may interfere in human affairs. These spirits can be good or evil, good-natured or bad-tempered, helpful or mischievous. In Southeast Asia, this animistic belief is so strong that many people erect actual accommodations for the spirits outside their homes and businesses. Spirit houses come in all sizes (some are large enough for humans to enter). They are most often small, mounted on pillars or daises and located in an auspicious spot on the property. Some people place little figurines in these structures. They also place gifts—usually flowers, fruits, food and drink—in or near the houses. Anything to keep the spirits happy. Spirit houses are especially popular in Thailand and Cambodia. They were startin...

The Chinese Hungry Ghost Month begins today, Aug. 16. It’s the first day of the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar. From today until Sept. 14, Chinese people of the Taoist or Buddhist faiths believe the gates of hell are open and hungry ghosts wander the earth in search of food and entertainment. (If you’ve read The Four Perils (book #4 of my Geomancer’s Apprentice urban fantasy series), you would also know yin energy is dominant now, which is attractive to ghosts.) During Ghost Month, Chinese communities all over the world burn hell money and ghost goods—such as paper-mache cars, cell phones, houses and jewelry—to ensure their ancestors are well taken care of in the afterlife. The Hungry Ghost Festival falls on the 15 th day of the month (Aug. 30). Some people will serve large feasts on offering tables for the dead on this day. Others may light lanterns in the shape of lotus flowers and release them in rivers. As they float away, the lanterns help guide the dead back to...

5 stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What a treat it is to pick up an urban fantasy series featuring Alaskan folklore. The protagonist Piper Tikaani is not only Inupiaq—one of Alaska’s indigenous peoples—but also a kick-ass bush pilot and a shape-shifter. The book goes straight into the action with Piper flying a client to a remote cabin. Author Jilleen Dolbeare writes about bush flying with obvious authority. And the action never lets up while Piper discovers the mystery behind her existence. This is a fun adventure, and Dolbeare’s writing brought Alaska and its glorious wilderness alive for me. The best part, of course, was learning about Inupiaq folklore. I recommend this book!

I love looking at the dragonflies in my garden. The sun really brings out their jewel tones as they zip among the flowers. I looked them up because I was curious about myths and folklore associated with the insects. I was surprised to find that there was great difference in how they were perceived in the old days by people around the world. Many European cultures considered them malevolent entities associated with snakes or the Devil. An old English name for them is the “Devil’s darning needle.” In Italy, they were seen as witches’ familiars and pets. In Sweden, they were omens of tragedy or injury. The views in America were more mixed. There is an old American superstition that the insects can sew up the mouths of lying children, nagging women, and cursing men. Another belief is they predict rain. A dragonfly swooping high means heavy rain, while a low-flying insect means a light shower. According to one Native American folklore, the dragonfly was once a dragon who was tricked int...

Hey, it’s the summer solstice! In feng shui terms, that means that yang energy has reached a peak. From today onwards, yang will be weakening while yin energy grows. If you look at the Chinese yin-yang symbol, yang energy is the white bit, and yin the black. Yang energy is bright, active, masculine energy, while yin is dark, passive, feminine energy. (That doesn’t mean yin is bad and yang is good. Yin and yang are the opposing energies of qi, the continuous life force in all living and nonliving things.) In Chinese philosophy, the seasons are part of the transformation from yin to yang energy and vice versa. The summer solstice marks the point at which yang starts to ebb, and yin increases. The reverse happens at the winter solstice, when yin reaches a peak, after which it begins to wane. The summer solstice used to be a bigger deal in China. In ancient times, it coincided with the wheat harvest, so the custom was to perform rituals to show gratitude for the harvest and to ask for m...

I saw this enormous tree recently in a suburban neighborhood in Maryland. I love seeing old trees, but especially old trees in the suburbs. They beat the odds. They survived, and thrived. Old trees also remind me of the “god trees” in Singapore. These god trees (called “shen shu” in Mandarin) are usually old. One famous god tree grows in the midst of a busy neighborhood of apartment blocks. The tree is said to be more than 100 years old. It existed long before the first apartments were constructed. According to local lore, the tree was so difficult to uproot, even with the use of bulldozers, that the developers gave up and built around it. People have worshiped at it for so long that the shrine at its base is now a registered place of worship, with its own trustees and list of charities. The tree, like many of the god trees in Singapore, is a banyan, a type of fig with aerial roots that hang from its branches. Buddha was said to have gained enlightenment under a banyan tree, so it’...

I couldn’t resist buying this little Easter cactus. I’ve never seen blooms this color on these plants. Aren’t the flowers pretty? I’ve got a thing about Easter and Christmas cacti because they remind me of a very special plant in Asia. It’s the “tan hua” or “keng hua” (in Hokkien, a southern Chinese dialect). The plant is a night-blooming cereus (epiphyllum oxypetalum) also known as Dutchman’s Pipe or Queen of the Night. You may have seen a reference to the plant in Kevin Kwan’s book, Crazy Rich Asians , or the movie . The main character’s future in-laws throw a party to celebrate the blooming of their tan hua. Epiphyllum Oxypetalum The tan hua has blossoms that can grow up to 6 inches across. The white flowers have a very heady scent (the better to attract moths and other pollinators). The flowers bloom only at night, and they last just for that night. The plant is special not only because its flowers are so beautiful. Some people believe your household will have good luck and pro...