Photo: Indonesian people of Chinese descent throw paper money in honor of their ancestors during the Hungry Ghost Festival in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. According to Chinese tradition, during the seventh month of the lunar calendar ghosts and spirits come to visit. Credit: Dedi Sahputra/European Pressphoto Agency.

For Americans on Aug. 18, 2024 the Hungry Ghost Festival offers a glimpse into the rich cultural traditions of Chinese communities and their practices of ancestor veneration. It highlights the importance of filial piety and the belief in the afterlife, which are central to many Asian cultures.

New York, N.Y. The Hungry Ghost Festival, also known as the Zhongyuan Festival, is a traditional event celebrated by Chinese communities in various countries, including Indonesia. It occurs on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, which typically falls in August or September.

During this festival, it is believed that the gates of the underworld open, allowing spirits to roam the earth. To appease these spirits, people offer food, burn incense, and throw or burn paper money and other paper goods, symbolizing material items for the spirits in the afterlife.

In Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia, the festival is marked by elaborate rituals at temples such as Gunung Timur Temple. Participants, including many of Chinese descent, prepare offerings like rice noodles, tofu, fruits, and paper replicas of houses and money.

These offerings are blessed and then distributed to the needy, while some are burned to send to the spirits. The festival also features live performances and the burning of giant effigies of ghost gods.

For Americans, the Hungry Ghost Festival offers a glimpse into the rich cultural traditions of Chinese communities and their practices of ancestor veneration. It highlights the importance of filial piety and the belief in the afterlife, which are central to many Asian cultures.

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