TODAY is the Chinese Ghost Festival

[Rico_cyr]

:mrgreen:July 14 is the Ghost Festival in China (盂兰节), Well, it is by Lunar Calendar July 14. Most Traditional Chinese festival is by moon Calendar. It is said the gate of the hell would be opened on July 1st (also by moon calendar) and all the ghosts would come to the world to enjoy their summer vocation and tonight (July 14) 12 o'clock the gate would closed and they would bring someone with them back, so ……you 'd better stay at home tonight dear friend!

Also there is a Human kind's day(人日) on Jan 8th, equivalent to July 14.

[liuzhou]

You cannot use "July" for 7th month! It just becomes utterly confusing. If you are referrring to the traditional Chinese calendar, use month number, the same as in Chinese!

What do you call the 13th month if you are going to use English month names?

[skylee]

人日 is the 7th day of the 1st month.

[Rico_cyr]

well, thank you very much for your correction, really appreciate it!

[adrianlondon]

What do you call the 13th month if you are going to use English month names?

Smarch.

(I watch too much Simpsons.)

[rootfool]

我记得传统上应该是阴历七月十五，为中元节，祭地官，民间也叫鬼节。上元为正月十五，祭天官，下元为十月十五，祭水官。孟兰节为佛教说法，与中元节本是两个说法，只不过时间也恰好在这一天，因此久而久之就合二为一了。由于各地风俗不同，也有几个省份是过七月十四或十三的。

[Lu]

I have a question about this. Here is Taiwan, many shops put a table outside with things for the ghosts to eat. (The ghosts seem to be keen on fruit and instant noodles, judging from what's on the tables.) Now my question is, what happens when the festival is over and the ghosts are done eating? Where does all the food go?

[studentyoung]

Now my question is, what happens when the festival is over and the ghosts are done eating?

一般人都认为，七月十四是鬼门大开的日子，因此都极少出夜门。这只是一个片面的想法。事实上，七月十四的午夜，即七月十五的十二点之前，鬼门是从大开到关上。古籍记载，这个时候，应该是游荡人间的鬼魂回归地府的最后限期。

http://cache.baidu.com/c?word=%C6%DF%D4%C2%3B%CA%AE%CB%C4%2C%B9%ED%BD%DA&url=http%3A//zhidao%2Ebaidu%2Ecom/question/2423437%2Ehtml&p=8b2a964e99800ef11cb1c4710f64&user=baidu

After the ghosts are done eating, they will go back to hell in time. If they couldn’t, they had to wander in this world and would lose their chance to reincarnate.

Where does all the food go?

The food is just for some ceremonies to pay respect to late ancestors, and then they will possibly be eaten by human beings.

Thanks!

[calibre2001]

I heard of freaky stories such as a mother leaving her baby temporarily on an altar (for food offering) while she prays for less than minute, only to find her baby dead after that!