Hungry Ghost Festival

According to the Chinese Lunar Calendar, its the seventh month now and this means its Hungry Ghost Festival or better known as "phor tor" all over again. This is the time where all the ghosts will be released from the gates of hell to roam earth.

Prayers are offered to the dead and offerings of food such as chicken, vegetables, fruits, bean curd and white rice are placed at street corners and roadsides to appease the spirits. This is believed to prevent the wandering spirits from entering their homes and causing disturbances in their households.

Offerings are also made by burning replica money notes, which are also known as ‘hell money’. Some families also burn paper houses, cars and even paper television or radio sets to give to their dead relatives.

And this is also the time where my mum will remind me constantly not to come home too late at night. My parents will on the fourteenth day of the seventh lunar month make offerings and prayers to the wandering spirits. Replica money notes, paper houses, etc etc will be burnt. They have never allowed me to do the prayers but this is also the month where you see the chinese incense shops sell all kinds of accessories to be burnt, ranging from houses to cell phones and even satellite dishes. Satellite TV must be doing very well since they even have reception in hell nowadays.

I am also a very superstitious person, thanks to my parents and their way of upbringing. So all these X-files stuff do fascinate me and at the same time, I do feel scared shitless. Believe me, I have encountered them before but that will be another blog.

Today, I am just wondering what's with the open air stage shows and skimpily dressed women during "phor tor". Just look at http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/8/21/nation/8717871&sec=nation

I have seen some of these shows before and I feel really sick albeit embarrassed in watching them. Traditionally, it was the chinese opera shows with high pitched singing and kung fu moves but some champion have thought of everything. Check out what the committee member said. Older ghosts watches the opera. Younger ghosts prefer to watch these shows. Another reason I have heard of is that this shows draws the younger generation whom have no regards to the beliefs and traditions anymore. What da fark? All I saw was more of those old Ah Bengs salivating there. And of course, there were younger Ah Bengs.

Seriously, do younger ghosts want to watch all these? Goes to prove that there are such things as "Ham Sap Kuai" (Translation = Horny / Perverted Ghosts)

I think its more for the Ah Bengs who are watching those sexy girls on stage. I still don't understand why all the girls must be scantily clad. If its really true that ghosts want to see that, perhaps, burning a few more dvd players and porno dvds might help. Sorry ghosts, I am not making fun of you guys but just that I don't agree with the community putting up these kind of open air stage shows with Ah Lians dressed skimpily prancing around and singing hokkien songs. Just feel sick. Just feel really really sick. If any of you has read Mike Ooi's blog on these stage shows at eating joints, trust me, I know exactly what he means.