The Ghost Festival, also known as the Qixi Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. Here are some customs associated with the Ghost Festival, translated into English:
1. **Making and Offering Food (烧七香)**: Families prepare offerings of food, such as fruits, rice, tea, and paper money, and place them on an altar to honor the spirits of the deceased.
2. **Burning Paper Money (烧纸钱)**: People burn paper money and other symbolic items, like paper houses, cars, and electronics, to ensure the spirits have enough resources in the afterlife.
3. **Lantern Floating (放河灯)**: Floating lanterns are released into rivers or lakes to guide the spirits to the afterlife and to signify the release of the souls of the deceased back to heaven.
4. **Performing Paper Shows (做纸活)**: Some people create paper versions of everyday items like phones, clothes, and houses to offer to the spirits.
5. **Watermelon Festival (吃西瓜)**: It is believed that ghosts enjoy watermelon, so families often carve watermelons into shapes or cut them into pieces and offer them to the spirits.
6. **Sacrificial Rites (祭祀)**: Traditional sacrifices, such as sacrificing chickens, pigs, or fish, are performed to show respect to the ancestors.
7. **Avoiding Sorrowful Actions (避凶)**: Some people avoid crying, arguing, or fighting on the Ghost Festival to prevent bad luck.
8. **Festive Activities (庆祝活动)**: In some places, there are performances, dragon and lion dances, and other festive activities to entertain the spirits and encourage a positive atmosphere.
9. **Wearing a Silver Hairpin (戴银簪)**: Women are said to wear a silver hairpin on their head to prevent their spirits from being taken by ghosts.
These customs vary across different regions and cultures within China, but they all aim to honor the spirits of the deceased and ensure a peaceful existence for both the living and the dead.
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