I've always had a fascination with the supernatural. As I grow more skeptical with age, it was somewhat of a 're-education' as to how much the supernatural play a real part in certain cultures. Celebrated on the 15th night of the 7th Lunar Month, the Hungry Ghost Festival demarcates the ghost month, where spirits of the deceased are believed to be released from Heaven and Hell's gates into the world of the living. Offerings are made to the deceased to ease their suffering, and in Taiwan, it is common to burn paper money for the dead.
I woke up in the morning to sounds of chatter from outside, and realised that this was very much a family affair. My host's extended family had come to visit, and it was nice meeting the rest of the family, including Grandpa Ou's brothers and Grandma Ou's sister. Grandma Ou put together a feast for their ancestors, which was subsequently devoured as part of lunch. I wasn't complaining, for sure!
I did manage to take a video of one year old Kevin praying to the ancestors, but for some reason can't find it - I really hope I hadn't accidentally deleted it, but will upload when I find it. In the mean time, here are some photos of the morning.
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| A small offering in the kitchen. Paul says it is for the smaller deities. Just thinking of it reminds me of Dr. Seuss' "a person is a person, no matter how small." In this case however, I guess a deity is a deity, no matter how small! |
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| Food and rice wine at the altar. There was roast pork, roast duck, roast chicken, some fruits etc. |
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| More offerings outside the home. |
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| I love this attempt at trying to capture a photo of everyone ;) |
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