Hungry Ghost Festival In Singapore and Superstitions That You May Not Know About
We all aware that the hungry ghost festival is coming near and usually there will be lots of the younger generations being reminded by the older generation about some multitude of superstitions surrounding the Hungry Ghost Festival. So here is some of the taboo which should and shouldn’t be done during this festive.
1.Don’t Talk Nonsense as these so called rubbish words such as “If you say things you don’t mean, our ‘good brothers’ will hear it and grant your wish. If you are feeling down, don’t ever say you want to jump down the building, because somehow, you will get pushed down from a high place. I know of singers who ran their mouth during the seventh month and for some inexplicable reason, they fell from the stage during their performance.
2. Ignore Strange, Rotting or Florals Smells – According to Si Si (left), one half of The Shining Sisters, if you come across strange, rotting or floral scents out of the blue or at places you wouldn’t normally expect them, keep quiet. “Don’t say anything even when you smell something weird. If something smells awful like rotting or sweet-smelling like flowers, just don’t ask any questions. Also, don’t follow the smell. Personally, we’ve smelled weird things before, but we’d keep quiet. Once, (getai duo) Mingzhu Sisters accidentally blurted out that the area around the stage stank. During their segment, one of them passed out on stage.”
3. Watch your Steps and Avoid Stepping On Offerings – “We apologized briefly before walking off because we were late for school. When we got home that night, both of us had high fever. It persisted until my mum went to the temple to pray, and we recovered.”
4. Never take your burned offerings back home – “It’s like a form of taunting and spirits see it as a sign of disrespect. I know of people who’ve done that and met with accidents later on,” reveals Lingling (above).
5. Don’t go swimming – “Swimming for me is a no-no. Spirits of drowning victims will be looking to claim their next target during the month. If you swim, something will pull your leg down. It’s better to be safe than sorry. I won’t take the chance because I don’t swim very well either,” Lingling says. She’s not the only one who’s pantang about this — Si Si admits she doesn’t go swimming or even to the beach during the Seventh Month.
6. Pray before every performance show – “Getai singers believe that we have to pray before every gig, otherwise the show won’t go smoothly. The first show is the most important, so praying is a must. Some singers even bring their own incense. We strictly follow the rules, because bad things have happened to people we know. Once, our senior forgot to pray and he fainted on stage. This is not the first time it has happened, so we will not take chances,” says Si Si (right).
7. Don’t Leave Undry or Dry Clothes Hanging overnight – “I realize that [the older folk] are quite particular about keeping clothes before nightfall [during this period]. I always hear them talking about it, and they say that [if you leave it outside], it attracts bad aura,” explains Desmond (pictured), 31. “I’m guessing it’s because it’s like asking the spirits to follow you? It’s something that I’ve been doing since young, so maybe I’m just used to it.”
8. Respect the Spirits – “Most importantly, don’t say things that are disrespectful to the ghosts. There are spirits everywhere who can hear you, and you will get into trouble. As long as you respect them, they won’t come after you,” Lingling warns. Marcus tells us that a getai friend was involved in a car accident shortly after saying disrespectful things about spirits. When we probe further, Marcus would only mention that his friend has already passed on. What happens if you think you’ve done any of the above or something else that may have offended the spirits? Lingling and Si Si advise going to a temple to apologise.