Chinese Folklore: Entering the Month of Ghosts (鬼月)

According to Chinese folklore, there are certain times when one must be especially careful of the supernatural, and this year today, August 4th, marks the beginning of guǐ yuè (鬼月) or “Ghost Month,” which is the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar.

Starting tonight at 11 PM through until September 2nd, it is believed that the doors of the underworld are open, and apparitions of all kinds are free to roam the world of the living. Those ancestral spirits who have families will visit their loved ones in their homes, while those ghosts who have none will wander the streets, seeking some form of relief, often in the form of food or entertainment.

Aside from mainland China and Hong Kong, Ghost Month is observed by a number of Asian countries, including Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, with similar traditions seen in other countries like Thailand and Japan.

First Day of Ghost Month

Today, on the first day of Ghost Month, ancestors are honored with offerings of food and incense set up in the home, and items fashioned out of joss paper – most typically “ghost money” – are burned at temporary makeshift altars outside of the home (mainly to control air pollution) for the spirits to use, both during the month and to take back with them when they return to the underworld at the end of the month. Perhaps just as important as paying respect to one’s ancestors, however, is to make similar offerings at altars set up during the month in public spaces to those wandering ghosts so as to avoid incurring their dissatisfied wrath, thereby warding off bad luck.

Supernatural Threat of Ghost Month

It is for this reason that Ghost Month is superstitiously considered one of the most dangerous times of the year, and during this time people avoid interfering with let alone upsetting any spirits as much as possible to ensure that the supernatural does not intrude on their lives and bring misfortune.

From an early age, children are warned against whistling, singing, even talking to themselves at night during Ghost Month as it is believed to draw spirits to you, encouraging if not inviting them to follow you home. Talking about ghosts, or the supernatural, or a similarly inauspicious topic like death is also thought to attract unwanted attention. Even worse if you disparage or mock spirits, as you never know who might be listening around you.

In a similar vein, cursing or swearing out loud, or making any sort of large, potentially offensive, noisy racket is to be avoided as much as possible so as not to bother the visiting spirits and appear disrespectful. It is for this reason that a lot of construction work and/or house renovations are kept to a minimum or halted for the month.

The word “ghost” or guǐ (鬼) itself even is generally avoided to refer to those lost souls, for fear of offending them. Instead, it is considered more polite to refer to them as more akin to family, as either hǎo xiōngdì (好兄弟), “Good Brothers,” or hǎo jiěmèi (好姐妹) “Good Sisters.”

Ghost Month Taboos (鬼月禁忌)

Aside from this, there are a slew of taboos or superstitions that are widely kept in mind even today, many of which have a long history that have been observed annually as much as possible for centuries.

While many of these may vary between geographical regions, here are some of the major ones that for those who are superstitious (and/or are visiting parts of the world that are observing Ghost Month) you may want to keep in mind.

DO NOT STAY OUT LATE AT NIGHT.

Staying out late are night during Ghost Month is widely discouraged, especially for children and pregnant women who are believed to be more vulnerable to the supernatural. This is largely due to the belief that ghosts, especially the malevolent kind, are strongest at night, drawing power from the yin energy of the moon.

Many businesses will close early to avoid this, and if your birthday happens to be during Ghost Month, it is strongly encouraged to not celebrate at night.

DON’T STAND TOO CLOSE TO OR LEAN AGAINST THE WALL(S).

Being naturally cooler in the summer heat and therefore a source of yin energy, it is believed that ghosts tend to stick to walls, preferring to walk along them or hide in their dark corners. Staying clear of the walls is strongly encouraged to avoid attracting ghosts, especially having one latch onto you and follow you home.

For similar reasons, cool, dark places in general, like the mountains, forests, or seaside at night are heavily avoided.

DO NOT ENTER OR GO NEAR BODIES OF WATER.

It is believed that a drowning victim is trapped in whatever body of water they died in, becoming what is commonly known as a shuǐ guǐ (水鬼), or “water ghost” and unable to journey to the underworld. While there is a danger of encountering such a ghost at any time of year, it is considered especially dangerous and almost certain misfortune if one were to go near, let alone swim in, a body of water like the river or ocean during Ghost Month.

DO NOT HANG CLOTHES OUTSIDE OVERNIGHT.

Especially not on the balcony or out the window. The shape of clothing is said to attract spirits who will come to “borrow” them for the night, which is believed to bring bad luck to you (the wearer/owner) as the spirits often leave traces of their misfortune on them.

DO NOT WEAR RED OR BLACK.

Ghosts are believed to be attracted to either of these two colors, especially if you wear all red or black, and may be more inclined to follow you around.

Black nail polish is particularly avoided as it is believed that the dead have black fingernails due to the lack of blood flow, and so having similarly black nails may result in one being mistaken for the dead.

DO NOT PICK UP OR TOUCH ANYTHING FOUND ON THE STREET.

For the duration of Ghost Month, virtually anything on the street is considered to belong to some spirit, and so you should never pick up or touch whatever you find while walking out and around, particularly if its coins or money. In fact, some of these objects are intentionally placed by certain malevolent spirits on the street to lure the living so that they can be cursed or possessed.

This of course also includes touching, stepping on, kicking or knocking any offerings laid out on the street or on any of the public altars. If you do so even accidentally, you should apologize immediately otherwise run the risk of a spirit becoming offended and following you home.

DO NOT PUT A HAND OR TAP ON SOMEONE’S SHOULDER OR FOREHEAD.

According to Chinese folklore, it is believed that living humans have three invisible flames, one on top of each shoulder and one on the forehead, that help ward off evil spirits and/or misfortune. Part of this has to do with how ghosts are generally repelled by “brightness” and these three flames contribute to the light of one’s living soul. By laying a hand on the shoulder or touching/covering the forehead you can put one or all three of these flames out, causing an imbalance of one’s yin and yang energies and attracting spirits.

DO NOT LISTEN/LOOK TO STRANGE SOUNDS OR UNFAMILIAR VOICES.

Throughout Ghost Month, spirits are believed to constantly attempt revealing themselves to the living, and so you must be wary of strange noises, especially unfamiliar voices calling out your full name. Acknowledging the presence of the supernatural by looking is thought to give it immense power over you, and so one mustn’t turn to look no matter what.

Another reason given for why turning to look is taboo is that the act of turning one’s head actually extinguishes one of the aforementioned three invisible flames, namely the one(s) on your shoulder(s). To avoid this, in some regions it is said that you can turn your whole body in the direction rather than just your head, but not looking in the first place is considered the safest course of action.

DO NOT KILL INSECTS, ESPECIALLY IF FOUND IN YOUR HOME.

Especially any grasshoppers, moths, or butterflies. Due to these insects’ relatively short lifespans, they are often believed to be the manifestations of one’s ancestral spirits, taking on its form to visit their living family.

DO NOT SIT IN THE FRONT ROW OF THE THEATER.

Performances are regularly held throughout Ghost Month, and while everyone is welcome to attend and enjoy the show, they are mainly to entertain the visiting spirits. The front row of the theater is therefore strictly reserved for ghosts, and living audience members should not under any circumstances sit in these seats, even if all other seats are taken to avoid offending them.

AVOID MAKING BIG LIFE DECISIONS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

It is strongly encouraged to avoid making a big life decision or holding a life-changing event during Ghost Month whenever possible, as it is commonly held that anything that is started during this superstitious time of year is unlikely to come to a good end. This is frequently the reason attributed to there being a noticeable drop in not only weddings, but also real estate sales, stock market activity, even (non-emergency) surgical operations.

It is especially believed that moving into a previously unoccupied space could invite any wandering ghosts into one’s new home, and so people tend to avoid moving house during Ghost Month as well.