7th Month/Zhong Yuan Jie / Hungry Ghost Month【农历七月 /中元节】

1. What is the different in a corporate/company prayer package versus a home package? A corporate package generally are bigger in quantity and generally more in joss paper rather than those Papier-mâché items.
2. Do prayer packages automatically include food offerings, or must I buy dry goods separately?
   • Usually food offerings are not included in the package. Food offerings such as roast meat/ buffet catering has to provided by licence food shop
3. How do I choose a package based on my company’s staff headcount?
   • This depends entirely on the budget set aside for the event, to cover for joss paper package to food items.
     

Dates & Timing 

1. What are the best hours of the day to conduct roadside or office prayers?
   • Office and factories usually has a fixed day or date they set aside. Either the same lunar date or for easy of administrating, on a Friday afternoon or Saturday where the workload is the least.
2. Can we pray and burn offerings at midnight, or is it bad luck?
   • This is purely personal preference, but on the safer side in case the person energy level / luck is not high, it is better to burn the paper before 9pm.
   • If for office prayer or prayer with foods, you may start early so that when the prayer is done, the staffs can enjoy the buffet.

Other and Misc

1. Do I write the company’s name or my family members’ names on the prayer packages?
   • No. you do not write any personal or company name on the prayer packages or the joss paper.

For Cultural Educational Purposes

Majority of the believers do behave properly and do clean up the prayer area. As believers, we should inform and education those who may not have the proper knowledge or follows practices that are incorrectly passed down through generations. Some practices are a copycat of some television shows, which are used to create certain cinematic effect.

The DOs

• Before ending the prayer, inform the wondering sprits that the prayer is coming to an end.

• Remove all food items (Including the HuatKueh used as incense holder) from the prayer area.
  • You can remove them because you already inform them that the prayer is coming to an end and items will be removed.

The DON’Ts

• Do not leave the prayer food around (See Above)
• Do not need to throw joss paper into the air/waterway/on land.
  • By doing so, the wondering sprits will not receive them. They will only received those joss papers that are burnt.
• Do not throw rubbish into the burner bins ( Having plastic bottle and rubbish will generate more smoke)
• Do not need to burn on the ground / drain

Updated: June 2025 更新：2025年6月 | Updating in progress 正在更新中

农历	阳历	Date
七月初一 ~ 七月三十日	2026年8月13日~9月10日	13rd Aug 2026~10th Sep 2026
中元节	2026年8月27日	27th Aug 2026

每年的农历七月，有华人的地区就会有中元节普渡的活动。这是民间信仰和道教祭祀无主孤魂的月份。七月十五是中元节的正日，也是三官大帝的地官大帝赦罪的日子。

在农历七月民间会在路边用简单的祭品和焚化冥纸来布施没有人祭拜的无主孤魂。比较正确的是把冥纸焚化掉。把金银纸丢向天，撒进水或撒在地面，这样做，这些无主孤魂是拿不到的。不但拿不到，这么做还会把更多的无祖孤魂引来。那么您要是用小份的拜料，哪里够啊？所以不要把冥纸丢向天，撒进水或撒在地面。

Every year during the lunar seventh month, Chinese folk culture and Taoism believers will make offering for the wandering souls whom don’t have any descendants. During this month, simple prayer with food and paper money known as kimzua will be used when doing offering.

7th Month / Hungry Ghost Month / Hungry Ghost FAQ

Package Types & Selection

1. What is the different in a corporate/company prayer package versus a home package? A corporate package generally are bigger in quantity and generally more in joss paper rather than those Papier-mâché items.
2. Do prayer packages automatically include food offerings, or must I buy dry goods separately?
   • Usually food offerings are not included in the package. Food offerings such as roast meat/ buffet catering has to provided by licence food shop
3. How do I choose a package based on my company’s staff headcount?
   • This depends entirely on the budget set aside for the event, to cover for joss paper package to food items.
     

Dates & Timing 

1. What are the best hours of the day to conduct roadside or office prayers?
   • Office and factories usually has a fixed day or date they set aside. Either the same lunar date or for easy of administrating, on a Friday afternoon or Saturday where the workload is the least.
2. Can we pray and burn offerings at midnight, or is it bad luck?
   • This is purely personal preference, but on the safer side in case the person energy level / luck is not high, it is better to burn the paper before 9pm.
   • If for office prayer or prayer with foods, you may start early so that when the prayer is done, the staffs can enjoy the buffet.

Other and Misc

1. Do I write the company’s name or my family members’ names on the prayer packages?
   • No. you do not write any personal or company name on the prayer packages or the joss paper.

For Cultural Educational Purposes

Majority of the believers do behave properly and do clean up the prayer area. As believers, we should inform and education those who may not have the proper knowledge or follows practices that are incorrectly passed down through generations. Some practices are a copycat of some television shows, which are used to create certain cinematic effect.

The DOs

• Before ending the prayer, inform the wondering sprits that the prayer is coming to an end.

• Remove all food items (Including the HuatKueh used as incense holder) from the prayer area.
  • You can remove them because you already inform them that the prayer is coming to an end and items will be removed.

The DON’Ts

• Do not leave the prayer food around (See Above)
• Do not need to throw joss paper into the air/waterway/on land.
  • By doing so, the wondering sprits will not receive them. They will only received those joss papers that are burnt.
• Do not throw rubbish into the burner bins ( Having plastic bottle and rubbish will generate more smoke)
• Do not need to burn on the ground / drain