Halloween comes from a Celtic tradition of celebrating the end of summer. It has been transformed into a fun night of dressing up, divulging in sweets, and getting a scare or two.
Western celebrations might spend an evening being spooky for Halloween, but Asian cultures have an entire Ghost Month. During Ghost Month, the gates of the afterlife are opened, and the spirits of the dead walk Earth once more.
“七月半，鬼门开“ : On the fourteenth of the seventh month, the gate of hell opens.In my ghost stories article, I discussed the E-Gui, or “hungry ghost,” within Chinese culture. There is an entire festival surrounding the celebration of hungry ghosts. It is mainly celebrated in the Jiangxi and Hunan Provinces of China.
The ghost festival is also popular in parts of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and Japan. It is said that this day, in particular, is when ghosts return from the underworld to wander the earth.
To ward against evil, Chinese families worship their ancestors to ask for protection and blessings.
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