Chinese Ghost Festival 31Jul to 28-Aug 2011

It’s the Seventh Lunar Month again, the Chinese Ghost Festival, when hell’s gates are opened to let out all the ghosts to wander the earth for a period of one month, this time it’s from 31 July to 28 August.  In fact, on the 30-July, the smell of incense and burning was already in the air.  There were already people burning paper money in the bin downstairs around our neighborhood.  I was also quite surprised to see office girls wearing heels, standing near to the ION MRT Station, entrance near to Wisma Atria, shuffle-ring paper money preparing for praying.  I have only seen aunties and uncles doing all these.  The smell still lingers when you go down the escalator to the area near the Sephora store.

I asked my colleague an interesting question today – whether the gates are opened in the night or day.  Does the gate closed in the day, and letting out the hungry ghosts only during the night?  Was told it’s left opened for the whole month, never close.  I have thought ghosts come out only during the night.  How are they to survive under the sun?  The colleague said they find shelter to hide.  Immediately what came to mind was a pretty ghost walking under the shade of an umbrella up and down the street visiting the living, and hid inside only when the umbrella is closed.