In Chinese culture, the seventh month in the Chinese calendar as ghost month (鬼 月). In this month, the spirits, including those of deceased ancestors in the underworld up. The deceased are therefore a “visit” to the living.
On the fifteenth day of the seventh month are the gates of the three kingdoms of heaven, hell and the open living. The daoïsten and Buddhists hold ceremonies to the suffering of the deceased to reduce.
Taoism
The party spirit is very important in the Chinese ancestor worship. There is plenty of incense, fruit and paper were offered to the ancestors. Home empty seats are held for the deceased relatives. Often a burning papers were on the street where the house lies. It is a famous street in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia during this festival. Red belief candles lit on the doorstep.
The difference between this party and that of Qingming is that this party all the dead are remembered, rather than just the deaths of the older generation.
In the spirit of party are also paper boats and lanterns on the water since. These indicate the direction of the deceased which direction they should go.
On this day in some areas, such as Singapore and Malaysia, Chinese opera performances held for the spirits. The Chinese opera performances by the younger generation today are increasingly replaced by small pop concerts. The first row of seats for the show are kept free of ghosts. This is sometimes also signposted.
In Singapore, it is prohibited to children in the evening time when the sun is not, of the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the seventh month running.
Buddhism
In Buddhism is known as the feast Ullambana (Sanskrit: उल्लम्बन; Traditional Chinese: 盂兰盆; pinyin: Yúlánpen, Vietnam: Vu Lan, Japanese: ぉ 盆). The party is thus not only in areas with large Chinese celebration, but also by Buddhist Vietnamese, Koreans and Japanese. Buddhist temples keep the dagzelf and sometimes the days after bidceremonies, where participants board with the name of the deceased (grand) parents on the altar of the Buddha set.
In Vietnam, on the feast day of spirit also given gifts to mothers who are still alive.
Water Lantern Festival
There is a folktale about the Water Lantern Festival. On the Fuchun River rises the Crane Hill, the hill looks like a crane. When the rock at the foot of the hill creates a vortex to the bottom. A Turtle Kolk worn which is connected to the Eastern Ocean. The turtle monster is haunting and leave sinking ships.
The reversed-Boot Hill was created by a boat turned immortal. Here lives a lumberjack and he finds an infant in the Crane Hill Crane and calls him Boy. If the boy eighteen, he is Stupid Crane said. The boy is mute.
He is sharp of mind and skill in his hands, he makes lanterns in all shapes. On the thirtieth day of the seventh month is the feast of lanterns and sticks it into the river, the princess from the Dragon Palace (Jade Green) will also look. The Dragon King allows the party to watch, they should be fine on the pearl watch on her heart that she carries.
Pearl must remain without them roam. Green Jade goes to the sacred island of purple bamboo Putuoshan to pick and get gold from the northern sea. Retrieves it from the southern sea of colored paper and she works seven days and nights on the pearl oyster lantern.
Disguised as a fisherman’s girl, the princess to the river and she climbs the highest tower. She sees the boats as the spindles back and forth on the water. The woodcutter died and Stupid Crane has just made a lantern, he leaves the crane lantern in a boat on the water.
Green Jade also comes in a boat and see the crane, the animal seems to live. The turtle monster is awakened by the light of the pearl oyster and the heron lantern lantern and there is a high wave. Stupid Crane as likely to drown, the princess uses the pearl and saves them both.
The pearl disappears and the Grand Master has seen everything, he heals the sick and gives people happiness. Green Jade asks if he can heal deaf dumb and get a cup of medicinal wine from a gourd. Stupid Crane drink and he can talk and hear, and he asks to remove the turtle monster. A medicinal wine cup thrown into the river and the Crane boy does it.
It creeps into the jug Schildpadomnster Bronbeek and hiding the Zhenjiabanken. It is now at the Turtle Hill Changkou. The marriage broker is Fuchun River, and the couple goes to the home of the Crane Boy. No boats to save it and turned-Boot Hill which is now called the Hill who is Good Bless.
Morning and evening there is a seven-colored sheen on the water, according to tradition, this is the brilliance of the gem that is shining. Use arose that girls and boys together in one boat lanterns entrust to the flow.
Source: http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geestenfeest
See Also: Sending Flowers, Online Florist, Florist
