What is Hungry Ghost festival?

What's the story behind the Hungry Ghost Festival?

• Answer:

  I'm assuming this refers to the Ghost Festival (中元節) on Month 7 day 14-15 of the Chinese lunar calendar. The entire seventh month is often referred to as the Ghost Month (鬼月). It is a time when many believe the ghosts from the underworld come to haunt the world. In modern times, most try to avoid misfortune by appeasing the ghosts in various ways, such as burning fake money, making sacrifices of food, burning incense, and other things. Most will not get married and avoid having children around this supposedly inauspicious time (paradoxically, the Qixi 七夕 festival, a traditional lover's day in Chinese culture, occurs during the month). Semi-traditional folks from all over the Chinese world, especially southeast Asia, pay particular attention to the ghost month and live life cautiously during this time. As for the real story, however, nobody knows the true origins of the Ghost month and the Ghost Festival. One theory is that its origins are in Buddhism. The Buddhist theory goes like this: In (Mahayana) Buddhism, the seventh month is actually an auspicious and joyful month. Legend has it that Buddha's disciples would meditate through the summer season and return from the forests on this day and congregate. Legend has it that many would attain enlightenment during this summer season and the Buddha himself would be pleased on this day of gathering, known as Ullambana (盂蘭盆會 in Chinese Buddhism). In particular, there was one particular disciple (目連) whose mother had committed sins throughout her life and was reborn as a Preta (餓鬼 or "Hungry Ghost") in the underworld, and through his extraordinary meditation powers, combined with the meditation of all, they would be able to reach to the underworld and save his mother. As such, for Buddhism in its most traditional Mahayana form, it's an auspicious and joyful month, and most of all a time to think about filial piety and compassion. It's possible that the entire story came from Ullambana and slowly underwent changes and became misunderstood over time and journeys, and people came to start trying to fear and appease the ghosts rather than think in the same way the legends first had it. The other theory (and if you ask me, I think more plausible for multiple reasons) is that it first originated from Chinese folk religion, predates the introduction of Buddhism and coincided with Buddhist Ullambana. Chinese folk religion goes so far back that there isn't too much known for sure about its origins. I haven't heard any more detail on this theory, but I find it more plausible. It's also entirely possible that it's some mix of these theories. Cultural traditions melted into each other especially during the Tang Dynasty. Tang Dynasty China was at its time a real melting pot of Asian cultures. So in short, nobody has a good historically-evidenced version of the story; it's all legend that varies from place to place. Interesting watch: Master Cheng Yen, founder of the Taiwan-based Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation which focuses almost completely on disaster relief and community service (in full disclosure: I volunteer for it) talks a little bit about the Buddhist theory and urges everyone to put away the wasteful traditions surrounding the "Ghost festival" and rather focus on compassion, recycling and good deeds during this month -- mostly-Mandarin with Chinese and English subtitles: