Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Almanac inquiry - What special day is August 16?

What special day is August 16?

August 16, 2023 is the first day of the seventh lunar month, and the special day is Ghost Festival.

In the folk, the seventh month of the lunar calendar is commonly known as "ghost month", while the first day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar is commonly known as "opening the gate of hell". It is said that every year on the first day of the seventh lunar month, Rebecca, the supreme commander of the underworld, will open the gate of hell and release hungry ghosts until July 30th.

Therefore, in the months when the ghost gate is opened, the ghost gate is often closed, and ghosts can freely enter and leave the mortal world and spend their holidays on earth. In ancient times, because people were narrow-minded, the theory of ghosts and gods had been circulated among the people, and most people believed in the existence of ghosts. In order to pray for peace, people usually hold some worship activities on this day. With the passage of time, these customs have remained among the people. It is understood that on the first day of July, different activities should be held from morning to noon and then to night.

Brief introduction of ghost festival custom

The custom of Halloween is that at night, every household should burn incense at home and put it on the ground. The more, the better, which symbolizes the bumper harvest of grain. This is the so-called "diffusion field". In some places, there are water lanterns. The so-called water lanterns are tied to a small board, and most of them are made of colored paper in the shape of lotus flowers, so they are called "flood and drought lanterns". According to tradition, water lanterns are used to guide those who are unjust and dead. When the light goes out, the water light has completed the task of guiding the ghost across the Naihe Bridge.

The shops were closed that day and the streets were haunted. In the middle of the street, there is an incense table every hundred steps. There are fresh fruits and a kind of "ghost steamed stuffed bun" on the incense table. There is a Taoist behind the desk singing ghost songs that people can't understand. This ceremony is called "singing".

Wang Kaitai, a scholar in the Qing Dynasty, once wrote a poem: "The Dojo is full of ghosts, and the original Yulan has an ancient meaning. However, it is strange that the red plaque is attached to the door, and the meat mountain wine sea celebrates the Central Plains. " It describes the Halloween customs along the southeast coast of China.

The above contents are for reference only.