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[Holidays & Gatherings](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/) 2. [What to Know About the Hungry Ghost Festival](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/a44290442/hungry-ghost-festival-celebrations/) # What to Know About the Hungry Ghost Festival Full of superstition and history, the Hungry Ghost Festival is an annual observance in East and Southeast Asia. By [Minhae Shim Roth](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/author/226083/minhae-shim-roth/ "Minhae Shim Roth") Updated: Aug 23, 2025  1  VCG//Getty Images We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our [review process.](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/institute/about-the-institute/a19748212/good-housekeeping-institute-product-reviews/) ## Jump to: - [What is the Hungry Ghost Festival?](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/a44290442/hungry-ghost-festival-celebrations/#what-is-the-hungry-ghost-festival) - [When is the Hungry Ghost Festival?](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/a44290442/hungry-ghost-festival-celebrations/#when-is-the-hungry-ghost-festival) - [How should I celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festival?](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/a44290442/hungry-ghost-festival-celebrations/#how-should-i-celebrate-the-hungry-ghost-festival) As the story goes, in the seventh month of the Chinese [lunar calendar](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/a38883958/lunar-new-year-traditions/), the gates of hell burst open. Voracious and sometimes vengeful ghosts cross over the threshold from the world of the dead and demand respect and recognition from living souls. This year’s Hungry Ghost Month, or simply Ghost Month, begins on Saturday, August 23 and ends on Sunday, September 21, 2025. The Hungry Ghost Festival is usually on the 15th day of Ghost Month, which is Saturday, September 6, 2025. The festival, which falls in the middle of Ghost Month, is a mid-point offering where people have the opportunity to respect and venerate the spirits of dead ancestors. During this time,[primarily Chinese communities](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a35711434/asian-american-pacific-islander-difference-aapi/) across the world observe practices rooted in superstition that symbolically appease, comfort and fulfill the spirits. “The Hungry Ghost Festival is considered a time of reunion and remembrance, strengthening the bond between the living and the deceased,” says[Jenelle Kim](https://jenellekim.com/), a doctor of Chinese Medicine and author of [*Myung Sung: The Korean Art of Living Meditation*](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1786785943?tag=goodhousekeeping_auto-append-20)." One of the most outwardly superstitious months, during Ghost Month, you’ll see people engaging in various public rituals and avoiding other practices in order to remain safe from spiritual harm. The origins of the festival are rooted in Taoism and Buddhism. In China, the Hungry Ghost Festival is called Zhongyuan Festival by Taoists and Yulanpen Festival by Buddhists. While some call the Hungry Ghost Festival “Chinese Halloween,” the festival is more similar in tradition to celebrations like[Día de los Muertos](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/g33792819/day-of-the-dead-facts/) in Mexico, Chūgen and Bon in Japan, Pchum Ben in Cambodia and Sat Thai in Thailand. ## What is the Hungry Ghost Festival? The Hungry Ghost Festival and Ghost Month revolve around honoring and respecting deceased souls through various symbolic and spiritual practices. However, the nuanced meaning of the holiday differs based on whether you emphasize the Taoist or Buddhist origins.  China News Service Paper offerings are one way to honor the dead during the Hungry Ghost Festival. According to the [National Library Board of Singapore](https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=fe14c69f-7d05-4844-abae-de842064f5ce), the Taoist tradition emphasizes the importance of appeasing and pacifying wandering souls who are released from the underworld during the Ghost Month, while the Buddhist religion underscores the importance of filial piety, which is a Confucianist virtue that values respecting one’s parents, elders and ancestors. In [*Chinese Heritage in the Making: Experiences, Negotiations and Contestations*](https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2204rz8.9), scholar Selina Ching Chan writes that in the Chinese Buddhist tradition, the Hungry Ghost Festival is associated with the story of Mulian, which is the Chinese name for Buddha’s disciple Maudgalyâyâna. In this well-known Chinese Buddhist tale, Mulian saves his mother from punishment in hell through ritual chanting. The story has been re-enacted since the Tang and Song dynasties in China through annual local operas that are performed during Hungry Ghost Festival. Chan writes that starting with the Song dynasty, Taoist traditions became integrated into the Hungry Ghost Festival. The Taoist tradition emphasizes the needs of hungry ghosts who have been released during Ghost Month. Opposed to peaceful spirits or one’s own family members, hungry ghosts are often those who experienced tragic or wrongful deaths. For instance, the earliest performance of the Chaozhou Hungry Ghosts Festival in Hong Kong was organized by a group of migrant workers from Chaozhou, writes Chan. The migrants moved far from their families of origin, were unmarried, and worked dangerous jobs at the piers to make a living. “In the \[Hungry Ghost Festival\] rituals, they commemorated these bachelor fellow-workers who died from industrial accidents or misfortune. It was believed that these people would become vicious ghosts if they were not properly worshiped after death,” she writes. “The Hungry Ghosts Festival was therefore meant to pacify those who died due to misfortune and to ensure that peace and order would prevail in the local community.” ## When is the Hungry Ghost Festival? “The festival is based on the belief that during the seventh month of the lunar calendar, the gates of hell are opened, and the spirits of the deceased, particularly restless and hungry spirits, are released to visit the living realm,” says Kim. “It is believed that these spirits have unfulfilled desires and seek comfort, offerings, and prayers from the living.” **This year’s Hungry Ghost Month begins on Saturday, August 23 and ends on Sunday, September 21, 2025.** The Hungry Ghost Festival is usually on the 15th day of Ghost month, which is Saturday, September 6, 2025. ## How should I celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festival? People celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festival through rituals designed to honor, acknowledge and satisfy the spirits of the dead. These practices include active objects and gestures that people can offer to spirits, and also superstitions and practices to avoid during Ghost Month.  NurPhoto//Getty Images Chinese Indonesians burn fake money to honor their ancestors during the Hungry Ghost Festival in 2015. “The Hungry Ghost Festival involves various rituals aimed at appeasing the hungry ghosts and providing them with offerings. People make food offerings, burn incense and joss paper and set up temporary altars or stages for performances. These offerings are meant to provide nourishment and fulfill the needs of the wandering spirits,” says Kim. **Practices to do during the Hungry Ghost Festival:** ###  **Feed the hungry ghosts** Food offerings are an important part of the holiday because the ghosts are thought to be hungry after roaming the land of the living since the beginning of Ghost Month. People sometimes prepare food up to three times a day to offer to the hungry ghosts. By burning incense and making food sacrifices to offer the ghosts, people believe that the spirits will remain peaceful and satisfied. ###  **Honor ancestors** Families will often create temporary altars in their homes with incense, photographs, and paintings of deceased relatives and ancestral tablets. they will also host hearty dinners with extra seats at the table to offer to souls who have passed. ###  **Burn paper money** A common practice during Ghost Month is to burn paper money made with joss or incense paper. People will do this outside a home or business, on the street, in a field, or at the temple. This burnt money is known as “ghost money,” and is a currency offering for hungry ghosts to use while they roam during Ghost Month. You can also fold the joss paper into the shape of gold ingots or gold bars and leave them out to offer to the ghosts. ###  **Attend performances** Street fairs and festivals are common during this time and you can often catch an opera performance of the Buddhist tale of Mulian, whose heroic rescue of his mother from hell is a paragon of filial piety. In Singapore and Malaysia, Getai shows are put on as a way to entertain both wandering spirits and living audiences. Loud, campy, and silly, Getai shows block off and reserve the front row of seats for spirits and deities who may be joining the show. ###  **Sail lantern boats** During the Hungry Ghost Festival, people enjoy the ritual of folding and floating small boats lit with candles into a river, pond, or pool. The body of water represents the “river of hell,” where the spirits of the dead rest. It is believed that the candles from the boats would illuminate the river, leading spirits to the light and releasing tortured or trapped souls from purgatory. Along with things to do during the Hungry Ghost Festival and Ghost Month, you’ll want to make sure to avoid some activities that could warrant the unwanted attention of hungry ghosts. Kim says, “During the festival, certain taboos are observed to avoid attracting the attention of malevolent spirits… These customs are followed to protect oneself from unwanted spiritual encounters.” **Practices to avoid during the Hungry Ghost Festival:** ###  **Staying out late** Ghosts are known to have their strongest energy at night, so you should try to get home before dark. Children, the elderly, and pregnant people are known to be especially vulnerable during the evening. Specific night-time activities to avoid include taking the last bus or train ride, whistling, walking under balconies, and taking photos in the dark, which could all lead to ghostly encounters. ###  **Touching food or money offerings** You never want to take food or money that belongs to ghosts, lest you offend a spirit, so don’t touch any offerings prepared by others that you might see outside. ###  **Hanging clothes outside** It is believed that if you hang clothes outside to dry, wandering ghosts may get caught in the loose garments and you could bring the spirits inside your home by accident. In particular, do not hang your laundry to dry after dark. ###  **Pointing your slippers toward the bed** Superstition goes that slippers guide ghosts to potential sleeping victims, so avoid facing your cozy footwear toward your bed during Ghost Month. But after the month is over, don’t worry about leaving your slippers askew. ###  **Swimming** They say that ghosts will try to drown people in water in order to reincarnate themselves into living bodies. Swimming and water activities are generally avoided during Ghost Month. ###  **Scheduling major life events** It is advised to avoid important events like weddings and surgeries, along with things like buying a new house or opening a business during the Hungry Ghost Festival and Ghost Month. Reserve those new beginnings for a less risky month. ## Related Stories [Find Your Chinese Zodiac Sign & What It Means](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a46573142/chinese-zodiac-signs/) [I Grew Up Ashamed of Being Asian. Now I'm Learning How to Fully Embrac...](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a36501882/embracing-my-aapi-identity/) [40 Must-Read Books by Asian and Pacific Islander Authors](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/entertainment/g35914502/best-books-by-asian-authors/)  [Minhae Shim Roth](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/author/226083/minhae-shim-roth/) Freelance Writer & Reporter [*Minhae Shim Roth*](https://www.minhaeshimroth.com/momphd) *is a writer and reporter based in the San Francisco Bay Area.* *Watch Next* *Advertisement - Continue Reading Below* ## *[Holidays & Gatherings](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/)* *[22 Gifts for Gardeners, From Someone Who Gardens](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/gift-ideas/g70985785/best-gifts-for-gardeners/)[40 Gift Ideas for Every Kind of Husband](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/gift-ideas/g28748940/best-gifts-for-husbands/)[The Mother’s Day Gifts Moms Secretly Hate](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/mothers-day/a70795115/mothers-day-gifts-to-never-buy/)[These Are the Best Gifts for Teens Right Now](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/gift-ideas/g434/gifts-for-teens/)* *Advertisement - Continue Reading Below* *[Unique Gifts for Teen Boys They Actually Want](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/gift-ideas/g28414150/best-gifts-for-teen-boys/)[33 Best Gifts for College Graduates](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/gift-ideas/g70974479/college-graduation-gifts/)[40 Fun Earth Day Crafts for Kids of All Ages](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/g39314721/earth-day-crafts-for-kids/)[35 Unique First Mother's Day Gifts for New Moms](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/mothers-day/g4302/first-mothers-day-gifts-for-new-moms/)* *[45 Mother's Day Gifts for Your Wife](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/mothers-day/g70963178/mothers-day-gifts-for-wife/)[45 Best Gifts on Amazon Under \$50](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/gift-ideas/g70928941/amazon-gifts/)[10 Easy Last-Minute Easter Brunch Ideas](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/easter-ideas/g70608820/easy-easter-brunch-recipes/)[How to Dye Easter Eggs With Food Coloring](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/easter-ideas/a70928761/how-to-dye-easter-eggs-with-no-kit/)* *Advertisement - Continue Reading Below* *[](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/)[](https://x.com/goodhousemag) [](https://www.tiktok.com/@goodhousekeepingofficial?lang=en) [](https://www.youtube.com/c/GoodHousekeeping?sub_confirmation=1) [](https://www.facebook.com/GOODHOUSEKEEPING) [](http://instagram.com/goodhousekeeping) [](http://www.pinterest.com/goodhousemag/?auto_follow=1)* *[Subscribe](https://shop.goodhousekeeping.com/gh-all-access-membership.html?cds_tracking_code=ghk_footer)[Newsletter](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/email/goodhousekeeping-newsletter)[About Us](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/about/a28971721/about-us-contact-information-masthead/)[Contact Us](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/about/a18834/contact-us/)[Work for Good Housekeeping](https://eevd.fa.us6.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1)[Media Kit](http://www.ghmediakit.com/r5/home.asp)[Advertise Online](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/about/a27270/advertise-online/)[Manage Subscription](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/manage-subscription/)[Turn Off Web Notifications](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/about/a61794945/how-to-turn-off-web-notifications/)[Promotions](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/promotions/)* *A Part of Hearst Digital MediaGood Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.©2026 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. 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## Jump to: - [What is the Hungry Ghost Festival?](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/a44290442/hungry-ghost-festival-celebrations/#what-is-the-hungry-ghost-festival) - [When is the Hungry Ghost Festival?](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/a44290442/hungry-ghost-festival-celebrations/#when-is-the-hungry-ghost-festival) - [How should I celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festival?](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/a44290442/hungry-ghost-festival-celebrations/#how-should-i-celebrate-the-hungry-ghost-festival) As the story goes, in the seventh month of the Chinese [lunar calendar](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/a38883958/lunar-new-year-traditions/), the gates of hell burst open. Voracious and sometimes vengeful ghosts cross over the threshold from the world of the dead and demand respect and recognition from living souls. This year’s Hungry Ghost Month, or simply Ghost Month, begins on Saturday, August 23 and ends on Sunday, September 21, 2025. The Hungry Ghost Festival is usually on the 15th day of Ghost Month, which is Saturday, September 6, 2025. The festival, which falls in the middle of Ghost Month, is a mid-point offering where people have the opportunity to respect and venerate the spirits of dead ancestors. During this time,[primarily Chinese communities](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a35711434/asian-american-pacific-islander-difference-aapi/) across the world observe practices rooted in superstition that symbolically appease, comfort and fulfill the spirits. “The Hungry Ghost Festival is considered a time of reunion and remembrance, strengthening the bond between the living and the deceased,” says[Jenelle Kim](https://jenellekim.com/), a doctor of Chinese Medicine and author of [*Myung Sung: The Korean Art of Living Meditation*](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1786785943?tag=goodhousekeeping_auto-append-20)." One of the most outwardly superstitious months, during Ghost Month, you’ll see people engaging in various public rituals and avoiding other practices in order to remain safe from spiritual harm. The origins of the festival are rooted in Taoism and Buddhism. In China, the Hungry Ghost Festival is called Zhongyuan Festival by Taoists and Yulanpen Festival by Buddhists. While some call the Hungry Ghost Festival “Chinese Halloween,” the festival is more similar in tradition to celebrations like[Día de los Muertos](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/g33792819/day-of-the-dead-facts/) in Mexico, Chūgen and Bon in Japan, Pchum Ben in Cambodia and Sat Thai in Thailand. The Hungry Ghost Festival and Ghost Month revolve around honoring and respecting deceased souls through various symbolic and spiritual practices. However, the nuanced meaning of the holiday differs based on whether you emphasize the Taoist or Buddhist origins.  China News Service Paper offerings are one way to honor the dead during the Hungry Ghost Festival. According to the [National Library Board of Singapore](https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=fe14c69f-7d05-4844-abae-de842064f5ce), the Taoist tradition emphasizes the importance of appeasing and pacifying wandering souls who are released from the underworld during the Ghost Month, while the Buddhist religion underscores the importance of filial piety, which is a Confucianist virtue that values respecting one’s parents, elders and ancestors. In [*Chinese Heritage in the Making: Experiences, Negotiations and Contestations*](https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2204rz8.9), scholar Selina Ching Chan writes that in the Chinese Buddhist tradition, the Hungry Ghost Festival is associated with the story of Mulian, which is the Chinese name for Buddha’s disciple Maudgalyâyâna. In this well-known Chinese Buddhist tale, Mulian saves his mother from punishment in hell through ritual chanting. The story has been re-enacted since the Tang and Song dynasties in China through annual local operas that are performed during Hungry Ghost Festival. Chan writes that starting with the Song dynasty, Taoist traditions became integrated into the Hungry Ghost Festival. The Taoist tradition emphasizes the needs of hungry ghosts who have been released during Ghost Month. Opposed to peaceful spirits or one’s own family members, hungry ghosts are often those who experienced tragic or wrongful deaths. For instance, the earliest performance of the Chaozhou Hungry Ghosts Festival in Hong Kong was organized by a group of migrant workers from Chaozhou, writes Chan. The migrants moved far from their families of origin, were unmarried, and worked dangerous jobs at the piers to make a living. “In the \[Hungry Ghost Festival\] rituals, they commemorated these bachelor fellow-workers who died from industrial accidents or misfortune. It was believed that these people would become vicious ghosts if they were not properly worshiped after death,” she writes. “The Hungry Ghosts Festival was therefore meant to pacify those who died due to misfortune and to ensure that peace and order would prevail in the local community.” ## When is the Hungry Ghost Festival? “The festival is based on the belief that during the seventh month of the lunar calendar, the gates of hell are opened, and the spirits of the deceased, particularly restless and hungry spirits, are released to visit the living realm,” says Kim. “It is believed that these spirits have unfulfilled desires and seek comfort, offerings, and prayers from the living.” **This year’s Hungry Ghost Month begins on Saturday, August 23 and ends on Sunday, September 21, 2025.** The Hungry Ghost Festival is usually on the 15th day of Ghost month, which is Saturday, September 6, 2025. ## How should I celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festival? People celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festival through rituals designed to honor, acknowledge and satisfy the spirits of the dead. These practices include active objects and gestures that people can offer to spirits, and also superstitions and practices to avoid during Ghost Month.  NurPhoto//Getty Images Chinese Indonesians burn fake money to honor their ancestors during the Hungry Ghost Festival in 2015. “The Hungry Ghost Festival involves various rituals aimed at appeasing the hungry ghosts and providing them with offerings. People make food offerings, burn incense and joss paper and set up temporary altars or stages for performances. These offerings are meant to provide nourishment and fulfill the needs of the wandering spirits,” says Kim. **Practices to do during the Hungry Ghost Festival:** Along with things to do during the Hungry Ghost Festival and Ghost Month, you’ll want to make sure to avoid some activities that could warrant the unwanted attention of hungry ghosts. Kim says, “During the festival, certain taboos are observed to avoid attracting the attention of malevolent spirits… These customs are followed to protect oneself from unwanted spiritual encounters.” **Practices to avoid during the Hungry Ghost Festival:**