Tuesday marked the first day of the seventh month by the Chinese lunar calendar ? also known as Ghost Month, when the gates of the underworld open. Folk custom holds that many activities are taboo during this period, and numerous temples in Taipei are holding religious events to mark the occasion. Scriptural recitations by masters who lead the faithful in prayer are considered to be a good way to ensure a safe passage through the maze of Ghost Month.
Songshan Cihui Temple director Huang Zhengguo says that the afternoon is more "yin", which denotes the darker, cooler, more feminine aspect of things as opposed to the brighter, masculine "yang" of morning hours, so the best time to take care of ancestor worship or similar rites is in the morning. For ghosts, the appropriate time is after 1 p.m., and worship of the Earth God should be postponed until after 5 p.m. or so. And when you do your ancestor worship, be sure to stay indoors to do so. Sibling rites or the burning of paper money should be done outdoors, but be careful not to say your own name or address while doing so.
Offerings vary by the object of the rite in question. For worship of the Earth Official, offerings of the five domestic animals and the five fruits, fresh flowers and food items like noodles or sticky rice cake are appropriate. For ghosts, six, ten or twelve bowls of food (always an even number), wine, fruit in season, or canned goods will do. For worship of the Earth God, one should prepare cooked dishes, rice, wine, and fruit to be placed on the short table. For ancestor worship, one offers the sacrifice of a pig, sheep or cow, as well as rice, cooked dishes and fruit in season.
In performing folk worship of ghosts, half a basin of water and a towel should always be placed next to the table, and the ghosts invited to first refresh their faces and have a sip of water prior to eating. When offering incense, invite the ghosts to enjoy the scent, and insert one stick of incense into each item in the offering array, welcoming the ghosts to enjoy it. After the incense is burnt down, it is necessary to first burn "ceremonial clothing" so that the ghosts can change their clothes.
Huang says that this year is a "leap year" for Ghost Month. According to custom, there is no need to celebrate the Zhongyuan Festival in a leap year; it is sufficient simply to hold the Pudu Zhongyuan observance on the 15th day of the 7th month. Taipei temples will be holding such observances all through the 7th lunar month; during the double Ghost Month period, it is enough for believers to prepare offerings of the "Three Sacrifices" for offering on the 1st and 15th of the month.
http://english.www.gov.tw/TaiwanHeadlin ... rdid=97415
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