Chinese Ghost Festival

On the 15th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar, the Chinese as well as everyone else who follows this tradition celebrate the dead. And unlike what you think of when you merely honor the dead, in this festival the dead are believed to come up and visit the living. Fun!

Legend says that on the 15th day, the gates of hell open up and ghosts enter the realm of the living for food and entertainment. In order to appease the visiting spirits many families burn paper items as tributes to the wandering souls and live entertainment venues reserve several rows for the ghosts to come and watch.

Food is also offered to the wandering spirits so that misfortune does not rain upon the living.

So it seems that in the Chinese tradition, it’s not so bad to be dead.