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

Updated: June 2024 更新：2024年6月 | Updating in progress 正在更新中

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.

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