Every year, usually in August, the Chinese in Singapore observe a large-scale tradition of paying respects to the dead. During this month, the "Gates of Hell” are opened and souls of the dead are freed and allowed to roam the earth where they seek food and entertainment. The 7th month of the Chinese lunar calendar is regarded as the Ghost Month. The 15th day of Ghost Month is Ghost Day, and the Ghost Festival is held the night before - on the evening of the 14th day. The activities throughout the month include preparing ritualistic food offerings, such as Mandarin oranges, roasted suckling pig, bowls of rice, and local Chinese cake made especially for the occasion. They also burn incense and joss paper to pay respect to the deceased. The festival is so widely-practiced in Singapore that special bins are set up in neighborhoods for believers to burn their joss paper. Small altars can also be seen outside many homes, both on private property and in public housing areas. On Ghost Day in Singapore and Malaysia, singers and dancers hold concert-like performances known as Getai on temporary stages set up in a residential districts. Everyone is welcome to watch the show as long as you don’t sit at the front row, which is reserved for the spirits. If you want to experience Ghost Festival without insulting the spirits, this presentation compiles a collection of taboos - 25 things NOT to do during Hungry Ghost Festival.

1. Image Credit: Hungry Ghost Festival by Benoxi
https://www.flickr.com/photos/benoxi/4968028141/
NOT to do during
25 things
Hungry Ghost
Festival

2. Image Credit: Best Satay in Singapore by Alex.ch
www.flickr.com/photos/alex-photos/371654747
1
Do not stay out late.
Spirits may
follow you home.

3. Image Credit: Ghost Month Offerings by Brian Jeffery Beggerly
www.flickr.com/photos/beggs/1354658909
2 Do not
step on
or kick
offering items
or joss sticks
along the
roadside.

4. Image Credit: Diaphanous veils by Zoetnet
https://www.flickr.com/photos/zoetnet/3867701325/
3 It is inauspicious
to marry during
Ghost Month.
Do not get married.

5. Image Credit: Windy Days by Kent Nguyen
www.flickr.com/photos/kentagon/4858143062
4
Do not cover
your forehead.
Pin up
your hair
as high as
possible.

6. Image Credit: Small Offerings by Miss Bossy
www.flickr.com/photos/missbossy/9679440146
5Do not make
jokes or
complain
about any altar
or offering items
along the street.

7. Image Credit: Fear by Nathan O'Nions
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nathanoliverphotography/8650387584/
6 Do not take photographs
in the evening.
Having your picture taken
with a sprit is inauspicious.

8. Image Credit: Tea Candle in the Dark by Markus Grossalber
www.flickr.com/photos/tschiae/8194233960
7 Do not stare into
candlelight or
burning fire.

9. Image Credit: Young woman with dyed hair provided by Microsoft partner Fotolia
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=fashion&ex=1#ai:MP900438733|
Used with permission from Microsoft
8
Do not shift your eyes
if you feel something.
Look straight ahead
and walk calmly to your
destination.

10. Image Credit: Red Umbrella by Liz West
www.flickr.com/photos/calliope/142894237
9 Do not open your
umbrella at night -
especially a red umbrella.

11. Image Credit: Red Dress by Ed Frazier
www.flickr.com/photos/fraz5356/4718649701
10
Do not wear red clothing
or high heels
and walk alone at night.

12. Image Credit: The drying clothes by Pedro Ribeiro Simoes
www.flickr.com/photos/pedrosimoes7/73885730
11
Do not hang out
wet clothes in
the middle
of the night.

13. Image Credit: What happened here by Blondin Rikard
www.flickr.com/photos/blondinrikard/14531913367
12Do not pick up any strange
items found on the street.

14. Image Credit: Bus stop at night by Thskyt
www.flickr.com/photos/thskyt/3773009587
13
Do not wait at a
bus stop after
midnight,
especially
after bus
service
hours.

15. Image Credit: Tree at Night by Kyrre Gjerstad
www.flickr.com/photos/kyrre_gjerstad/6816594206
14
Do not stand
under a tree
in the middle
of the night.

16. Image Credit: Whistling in Dark by David Goehring
www.flickr.com/photos/carbonnyc/13739385305
15
Do not whistle
alone at night.
You may find
someone
singing along
with you.

17. Image Credit: Moody Street by George Alexander Ishida
www.flickr.com/photos/takoyaki_king/13898658422
16Do not walk
in the dark,
near walls.
Something
may be appear
in your side view.

18. Image Credit: Surprised by Phlubdr
www.flickr.com/photos/phlubdr/5378252858
17Do not turn your head
if someone taps you
on your shoulder or
calls you from behind.

19. Image Credit: Midnight Sky Manicure by Ashley MacKinnon
www.flickr.com/photos/ashleymackinnon/8348141751
18
Do not use
black or
dark colour
manicure.

20. Image Credit: John combing his hair by Anthony Easton
www.flickr.com/photos/pinkmoose/292677574
19 Do not comb your hair
in front of the mirror
in the middle of the night

21. Image Credit: Please by Alyssa L Miller
www.flickr.com/photos/alyssafilmmaker/3234704181
20Do not scream
in the middle
of the night.
Stay as quiet as possible
if you feel sudden coldness.

22. Image Credit: Single Tear Emotion by LMAP Megyarsh
www.flickr.com/photos/megyarsh/2366447913
21
Do not get emotional
and cry
in the middle
of the night.

23. Image Credit: Perchloroethylene by Emergency Brake (Evil Erin)
www.flickr.com/photos/evilerin/3309643371
22Do not be too curious.
Ignore strange sounds,
especially soft whispering voices.

24. Image Credit: Red umbrella by Tatters
www.flickr.com/photos/tgerus/2613422376
Do not enter a
cemetery area or
abandoned house.23

25. Image Credit: Night Swimming Pool by Jacopo
www.flickr.com/photos/bracco/14349070467
Do not swim in the
middle of the night.
Something may
be waiting to pull
your legs.
24

26. Image Credit: Usually there-s room for two by Christi Breban
www.flickr.com/photos/evilboarder/11195683133
Do not play at the
playground in the
middle of the night,
especially
on the swings.
25

27. About the Author
Eric Pesik
• I am an American citizen living of Singapore, where I first learned about the Ghost
Festival. This presentation was written after learning about Singapore culture and
reading about Ghost Month taboos. This is visual lesson about how to behave - what to
do and not to do - during Ghost Month.
• My recent professional presentations are also available online at:
http://www.slideshare.net/ericpesik
Creative Commons License
• You are free to share, copy, distribute, and transmit this work; to remix or adapt this
work; and to make commercial use of this work, under the condition that you must
attribute this work to me - but not in any way that suggests that I endorse you or your
use of this work. Each slide contains source attributions and URL; before reusing, you
must obtain the original images from the original sources, and you must comply with
any applicable license restrictions imposed by the original sources.
• See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

28. Credits & Acknowledgements
Images
• Flickr Creative Commons: Images from Flickr Creative Commons are licensed under Creative
Commons Attribution license. Some rights reserved. See
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
• Microsoft Office Online: Images from Microsoft Office Online are used with permission from
Microsoft; no rights to further license or distribute the media elements. See
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/
Content:
• Do’s and Don’ts during the Hungry Ghost month:
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/dos-and-donts-during-the-hungry-ghost-month/
• Chinese Ghost Month Taboo:
http://my.72dragon.com/609/chinese-ghost-month-taboo/
• 30 Things You Should Not Do During Hungry Ghost Festival:
http://therealsingapore.com/content/30-things-you-should-not-do-during-hungry-ghost-festival
• Do's and Don'ts - Hungry Ghost Festival
http://www.anythingbeautiful.blogspot.sg/2012/08/dos-and-donts-hungry-ghost-festival-
and.html

30. Image Credit: Hungry Ghost Festival by Benoxi
https://www.flickr.com/photos/benoxi/4968028141/
NOT to do during
25 things
Hungry Ghost
Festival