Happy Ghost Month everybody! Like Halloween in the West, Taiwan dedicates the 7th month of the lunar calendar to ghosts and spirits. The first day of the month is marked by opening the gate of a temple, symbolizing the gates of the underworld. Festivals occur throughout the month in Taiwan where offerings of food and drink, ritual dances and music, and the burning of spirit paper money, are believed to give a form of earthly enjoyment to the ghosts, as well as help them ascend to heaven, so they will in turn bless the living with good fortune. During Ghost Month, most Taiwanese people avoid activities such as swimming, moving houses, getting married and traveling, in order to avoid any malign influence of the ghosts who may be hostile to the living. These attitudes towards the dead originate from ancestor worship, which is an important aspect of life for local people, even to this day.
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 04:46:55 +0000
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