Walking by the canal, a fire catches my eye. At first sight one might think the sweet-looking elderly couple is enjoying a bonfire. But as my walk down the canal leads me closer, I know they are worshipping their ancestors. 

The seventh month of the lunar calendar is known for more than love. Chinese Valentine’s Day is just one day, but the entire month is referred to as Chinese Ghost Month. (This year it’s from Aug. 22 – Sept. 19 on our calendar.) Rooted in Buddhism and Taoism, many believe that during this month spirits stuck between the living and dead are free to roam the earth.

Halfway through Chinese Ghost Month, on the date of The Ghost Festival, these two weren’t the only ones giving witness to this belief. The canal was lined with people burning and bowing – and in the empty spaces the ground was singed and charred. Piles of paper money, called joss paper, lined the sidewalk, about to be burned. The belief that drives this practice is that during their lifetime, each time their ancestors prayed to the spirits they accrued debt. This debt, too large to pay off in one lifetime, requires them to send money to their ancestors in the afterlife. 

This ancient practice, according to archeologists discoveries, goes back to circa 1,000 B.C. (Nationsonline.org)

Money isn’t the only thing being burnt during The Ghost Festival – I’ve heard of people sending paper replicas of clothing, rice cookers, paper credit cards, iPhones complete with manuals, even passports to ensure their ancestors are well taken care of in the afterlife. They also believe that the dead can influence the living, so while giving gifts they ask their ancestors to intervene on their behalf. 

Spiritual matters often lay hidden beneath the surface, but during The Ghost Festival, evidence of people clinging to these ancient beliefs was in abundance.