Hungry Ghost Festival

Don’t be surprised if you see people starting fires at the sides of the roads in Singapore this month – it’s the Hungry Ghost Festival!

This festival is celebrated by the Chinese Taoist community in Singapore, who believe that during this time the Gates of Hell are opened to allow the souls of the dead to roam the earth.

Celebratory dinners are often held, and shows and concerts such as traditional puppetry or Chinese opera also take place throughout the festival. The fires that you might see in front of people’s houses, shops or restaurants are usually part of an altar set-up to make offerings to the dead. Candles, joss sticks, paper money and other paper goods are all burned here, in addition to food such as oranges and bowls of rice being left.

If you’re in Chinatown, check out Nam’s Supplies at number 22 Smith Street. This shop is famous for its large collection of paper peace offerings. It mainly stocks incense sticks, coils and oils but if you delve a little deeper in the shop, you will find an interesting array of paper credit cards, money, passports, and even mobile phones, designer watches and football strips! 

Head to Chinatown or Geylang to try and catch some of this unique festival action.

This year’s Hungry Ghost Festival runs 10th August – 7th September.

Photo courtesy of zosoiv71 (Steve Barringer)