Beware! The Dos and Don'ts of The Hungry Ghost Festival in Taiwan

Every year comes ghost month, that time of the year when the doors to the underworld are open, and the spirits of the deceased roam the world of the living. At least this is what Taiwanese folklore says. The door remains open for one month (the seventh month of the lunar calendar, usually around August), hence the name “ghost month”, so for an entire month people avoid the taboos, and hope they don’t get caught by the roaming phantoms.

The festival lying right in the middle of the ghost month is the Hungry Ghost Festival. During that day, temples, companies and families set out tables of offerings in front of their buildings, with all kinds of food, snacks, drinks and fruit, and burn joss paper (spirit money) to treat the homeless spirits and keep them from getting angry. Who doesn’t get irritated by empty stomach? At least we do. Believe in the legends or not, it’s good to know some taboos of ghost month and Hungry Ghost Festival. If you are unaware, you might accidentally violate them, and enrage that grandpa on the MRT before you even enrage hungry ghosts. Even government offices and businesses hold their own offerings, so now you know the extent of it. There are too many Hungry Ghost Festival taboos on the Internet it’s overwhelming, so here we list some of the most widely believed dos and don’ts growing up Taiwanese.

• Do not turn your head if someone pats on your shoulder:

According to legend, three protecting flames exist to protect one’s soul, two on the shoulders and one on the head. If a ghost pats your shoulder from behind, you might snuff off your protective flame by turning your head, making you vulnerable to evil spirits. To avoid this, turn your whole torso at once.

• Do not pat on people’s shoulders:

Because, again, you might snuff off their protective flames.

• Do not lean on the wall:

Apparently walls are cooler, so spirits like to stick on them. Lean on a wall and spirits might stick on you instead.

• Do not leave your clothes drying outdoors at night:

One saying is that since clothes resemble human silhouette, they can be easily possessed by ghosts. Another saying is that the wandering spirits have stayed in the cold dark realm for so long that, once they see clothing, they’ll eagerly put them on to keep warm. Neither is a good omen.

• Don’t sit in the front row of Gezaixi shows:

This is probably one of the biggest pitfalls for first-time visitors during ghost month. Gezaixi is Taiwanese opera, a traditional theater form sung in Taiwanese Hokkien, and the open-air performances staged during ghost month are partly put on to entertain the spirits, so it is said the front row is reserved for them. You can imagine that, just like most of us, they won’t enjoy finding someone in their seats.

• Refrain from going to beaches and riverside, especially at night:

This one is an infamous taboo also. Parents always tell us the spirits that passed away accidentally while swimming will be eager to look for a “replacement” while the door is still open. Personally, spirit or no spirit, I think it’s just wise not to go swimming in rivers after nightfall.

• Don’t open umbrellas in your house:

Umbrellas have long been used by professionals to catch evil spirits because how folklore says they tend to seek shelter in the cool shades. By opening umbrellas in your house you might release the spirits you accidentally caught outdoors into your home.

• Don’t whistle:

Whistling after dark is thought to be a way of attracting ghosts.

• Don’t take pictures or selfies at night:

This is voted the most widely believed taboo during ghost month. After all, isn’t this how almost every ghost movies begin? Seeing someone that shouldn’t be there in a photo?

Related articles:

＊ Taiwan Basic Information
＊ Taiwan Survival Guide - Tips For You to Live and Thrive

Cover photo: 總統府, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons