The Mid- Autumn Festival close.

Don't forget to visit Chinatown to experience Chinese culture, fun events, great food and wonderful photo opportunities during the Mooncake Festival. Check out www.chinatownfestivals.sg for detailed information on all the events.

 

Some very Singlish tips about the 7th month

Credits: Someone who wrote this

How good is your Singlish!?! Understand or not? huh? LOL

1) Dun stay out too late. If there's a need, stay past midnight...

2) Dun step on ashes.. If accidentally step on it, say "Alamak! paiseh la.....dun angrrryyyy l...ehhhh".

3) If some1 call u from behind, turn ur whole body back, instead of just the head if not later sprain ur head then how......

4) If smell funny smell, shout out and say "which ******* manz..better own up hor!"...if not people will mistaken u who fart...

5) Dun let your fringe cover your forehead, later got chiobu u cannot see lah....

6) Dun scold vulgarities at some dark places when u are alone. Scold also scold when there is people around la...dun waste your own breath mah...

7) If a place makes you uncomfortable, keep chanting "Na2 Mo1 Or1 Ni3 Tuo3 Fuo3...first"

8) Avoid going swimming, because now Lunar 7th month....no chiobu leh...no one to show off body to...

9) If there's a pair of shoes in the lift, but no one is in it. Check out the brand first, scarly is HERMES...sell liao still got value..

10) If you see anyone praying and blocking your way, just shout "OIEE....SIAMMM LEHH!"

11) Do not talk to strangers on a deserted stretch of road....in case people say "我不想跟你讲话。。。".

Lastly, "人怕鬼三分，鬼怕人七分" Do not be afraid even if u meet this kind of thing. Don't believe to this crap la...i only hear of 不管三七二十一。。。

Chinatown Hungry Ghost Festival 2010

Birth, Life & Death in Chinatown Tour - $33 per person (includes GST) (All About Chinese Beliefs, Myths and Taboos)

Saturdays & Sundays (14th, 15th, 28th, 29th of Aug & 4th, 5th of Sept), 4.30pm-8.00pm (dinner provided)

This tour provides you with the lowdown on everything you ever wanted to know about Chinese beliefs, myths and taboos. Guides will walk participants through Chinatown to look at interpretations of traditional Chinese beliefs that are part of the life cycles of birth and death. Tour participants will get opportunities to consult the Almanac and have their fortunes told. There will also be real-life demonstrations performed by priests of the Taoist Federation.

We’ll answer some burning questions too, like why it’s not safe to point at the moon, when it’s perfectly alright to not wash your hair and of course, how to have a great prosperous life

Walking With the Good Brothers Tour : The Hungry Ghost Festival Walk

21st Aug (Sat) and 22nd Aug (Sun), 6pm-9.30pm (dinner provided)

21 Aug: $33 per person (includes GST)

22 Aug : $43 per person (includes GST)

Enter the world of deities, spirits and beliefs of the Hungry Ghost Festival. Our guide will take participants through a mystical evening of the Hungry Ghost festivities in Chinatown. Find out which deity acts as the festival’s ‘policeman’, what secrets lie in the ‘Fa Cai Ang Bao’ (prosperous red packet), watch the rituals and be immersed in the loud and electrifying action of the Getai and Auction Dinner*. Walk with the ‘good brothers’ (a euphemism for the spirits) as they ‘walk’ the earth once more.

* Auction dinner is on 22 Aug only.

Hungry Ghost Festival Exhibition

10 Aug – 7 Sep 2010, Kreta Ayer Square, Free Entry

Staged in partnership with the Taoist Federation (Singapore), this month-long exhibition is an indepth look at the mysteries and significance of the Hungry Ghost Festval as it is celebrated in Singapore.

The exhibition area will be divided into four zones, namely introducing Traditional Chinese Festivals, understanding the Hungry Ghost Festival, Folklore and a photographic exhibition of how Hungry Ghost Festival was celebrated in the past. It will also feature rare photographs of Hungry Ghost Festival celebrations in the 70s and 80s by Mr Ronni Pinsler - a renowned heritage photographer and was recently

recognised by National Heritage Board as a Supporter of Heritage for donating over 15,000 images to the National Archives of Singapore.

Through the exhibition, visitors will better understand the significance of traditional Chinese festivals, and how they are celebrated.

Visitors will be able to sneak a peek into the mysterious world of Taoist rituals and skills, and understand the fundamental purposes of conducting such rituals during the Hungry Ghost Festival. There will also be exhibits on display to introduce the practices around the Zhong-Yuan festival, including rare Taoist relics and scriptures. A ritual appreciation and demonstration on 14 August 2010 will also introduce the salvation (chaodu) ritual to the public.

For details and tour reservations, pls contact:

Ms Toh Mei Lian

Marketing and Promotions Executive

Tel: 6372 0478 Eail: meilian@chinatown.org.sg

Hungry Ghost Festival

The Ghost Festival is on the 14th night of the seventh lunar month. In Chinese tradition the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the Underworld. During the Festival the living descendants pay homage to their ancestors and on Ghost Day, the deceased visit the living.

San Qing: are the highest deities in the Taoist Pantheon. The entire manifested universe is ruled by three original forces, the Three Pure Ones:

The Jade Purity, The Yuanshi Tianzhun, also known as "The Universally Honoured One of Origin", or "The Universal Lord of the Primordial Beginning"

The Supreme Pure One, also known as "The Universally Honoured One of Divinities and Treasures", or "The Universal Lord of the Numinous Treasure"

The Grand Pure One, also known as "The Universally Honoured One of Tao and Virtues or "The Universal Lord of the Way and its Virtue" or "The Grand Supreme Elder Lord"
"The Supreme Commander of the "Thunder Agency". The belief of the Thunder Deity originated from worshipping of nature since ancient times. People felt that heavens must be angry thus venting the anger with lightning and thunder. Taoists belief that the Thunder Deity is a formidable deity who is upright and righteous.

There are many Thunder Deities and the "Heavenly Lord of Universal Transformation Whose Voice of Thunder Resonates with the Origin of the Nine Heavens" is the overall commander of all the 36 Supreme Commanders in the "Thunder Agency".
Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense and burning joss paper paper-mache form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors.
Elaborate meals would be served with empty seats for each of the deceased in the family treating the deceased as if they are still living.
An array of foods being offered to the deceased

The priest will strike the bell to call back the souls, other monks singing chimes of incantations.

Guan Yin is an extremely popular Goddess in Chinese folk belief and is worshipped throughout East and South East Asia. Guna Yin is revered due to her unconditional love, compassion and mercy. She is generally regarded as the protector of women and children, a fertility goddess capable of granting children, seen as the champion of the unfortunate, the sick, the disabled, the poor, and those in trouble.

The Eight Immortals are a group of legendary immortals in Chinese mythology. They are popularly known for the legend of "the Eight Immortals cross the sea, each reveals its divine powers", where they were going to the Conference of Magical Peach and encountered an ocean.

Food and drink will be offered at night outside the gates of houses. This is so that the ghosts do not enter their houses and cause trouble.

Lanterns are lit to help guide the ghosts to the feasts set out for them.

To make sure that these souls stay out of trouble, entertainment is set up round the clock, and Chinese operas or Getai is performed on outdoor stages.

A Getai (literally song stage) is a boisterous live stage performance commonly held in Singapore & Malaysia, in contrast to the generally solemn mood of the festival. The stage setup is usually composed of temporary structures and situated in the suburbs of the city in any empty field or even in car parking spaces or housing estate.
The backdrop of the stage is made of cardboard and clothes painted in bright colours. Spotlights bright colours, like, red, blue, pink and yellow illuminate the stage.
The younger folks in Singapore normally relate to a Getai as kitsch, as the performers sing and talk often in Hokkien, a dialect they label as crude and passe. The older people however enjoy watching a Getai, dance and sing along to the staple songs.

The event is meant to be performed to the spirits and also the people alike during the seventh month. The performers don loud and glittery clothing, and the compere spouts crude jokes all in the name of fun.
For the older folks from the surrounding neighbourhoods these performances are most welcome because it means a free evening of entertainment.

Incense are burnt in front of the door of each household. The more incense, the better, for the amount of incense stands for the degree of prosperity. In some places, people flow water lanterns. Such lanterns are made by setting a lotus flower-shaped lantern on a piece of board. According to the Chinese tradition, the lanterns are used to direct the ghosts. Ghosts find their way back when the lanterns are out.

About: "A Month Of Hungry Ghosts" Movie

BEST FILM Nomination - Singapore International Film Festival 2009< " CRITIC'S RECOMMENDATION! - Wanbao, Chinese Evening Paper
"Captivating! A great eye-opener. Very fresh, very cool... great touch." - Wanbao

CRITIC'S PICK! - The Straits Times"Fascinating... a fresh perspective... the film delivers." - John Lui, Straits Times

"A scary and funny adventure! Very bold and insightful."
"Rewards the audience with a mysterious and educational journey." - Eista Lee, Zaobao

"A lively, humorous and expansive exploratory tour."
"You will leave intrigued... and more than a little spooked." - Whang Yee-Ling, 8 Days

"Fascinating... superb educational value..." - A Nutshell Review, Twitch Film
"Fast and furious... the importance of this film is not to be dismissed." - Koh Sian Eng, Cinema Onlinethe adventure of the seventh month:">

A MONTH OF HUNGRY GHOSTS is a 99-minute supernatural adventure across the spanning 30 days of the seventh lunar month. You have NEVER before seen the Hungry Ghost Festival presented quite like it is in this film. You WILL see it in a different light upon viewing the film. If you are an expat visiting or living in ... you simply MUST see this film and experience A MONTH OF HUNGRY GHOSTS firsthand. Interested in Asian culture, religion, the supernatural, superstitions, ghosts?

Movie Screening: 29th & 30th August at 8 pm (Free entrance)
Venue: Chinatown Ge Tai Stage Open Field along Spring Street beside the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple’s Carpark

Hungry Ghost Festrival, A 'Must See' for Expats, Tourists and even Locals

This year’s Chinatown Hungry Ghost Festival promises to be a special treat for both our ‘good brothers’ (euphemism for the spirits) and the living. For the first time ever, the Chinatown Business Association will be launching four days of activities to showcase the rich and intriguing culture of this mystical festival.

Visitors will enter into the world of deities, spirits and beliefs.
Find out which deity acts as the festival’s ‘policeman’, what secrets lie in the ‘Fa Cai Ang Bao’, watch the rituals and be immersed in the loud and electrifying action of the Ge Tai and Auction Dinner. To unravel more mysteries, one can also pay a visit to the Exhibition by the Taoist Federation by the festival site.

CHINATOWN HUNGRY GHOST FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

29th & 30th Aug – Movie screening (FOC)

Venue: Chinatown Ge Tai Stage (Open Field along Spring Street beside the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple’s Carpark)

All day: Viewing of Hungry Ghost Festival Exhibition

8pm: Screening of ‘A Month of Hungry Ghosts’

31st Aug - Prayer Day

All day: Viewing of Hungry Ghost Festival Exhibition

starting 11am till night: Taoist hungry ghost celbrations

9pm: Ge Tai Performance

Venue: Chinatown Ge Tai Stage (Open Field along Spring Street beside the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple’s Carpark)

1st Sept – Auction Day

All day: Viewing of Hungry Ghost Festival Exhibition

8:15 pm: Dinner and Auction at Festival site

9:15 pm: Ge Tai Performance

The Hungry Ghost Festival is the next big event in Chinatown

Each year during the seventh lunar month is the time of the year when literally all hell breaks lose as the gates of hell will open to let out the 'hungry ghosts' to earth , which usually is between August to September. This traditional festival from China, the Hungry Ghost Month 2009 will be on from 20 Aug to 18 Sept.

To appease the wandering spirits the Chinese will offer prayers to the deceased, burn joss sticks, paper money and offer food. There will even be entertainment for the spirits during the festival. It is common to see wayang (Chinese Opera) or getai (mini concerts) performances being held during this period. Generally held at night, it is believed that these loud affairs attract and entertain the spirits. After the celebrations are over, the ghosts will return back to where they come from after a month of 'merry-making'.

If you want to learn more about these Hungry Ghost festivities join a guided tour (organized by the Chinatown Business Association) on two of the highlight days, 31 Aug and 1 Sept), to unravel the mysteries behind this bizarre festival."

Chinatown Hungry Ghost Festival Tour -

31 Aug 09 (Mon) & 1 Sept 09 (Tue)
6.30 pm – 10pm
(An in-depth guided tour of the Hungry Ghost Festival in Chinatown)

>Watch the rituals
>Learn about the practices
>Experience a 7th month auction
>Catch the 'Ge Tai' in action

Price: August 31: $30 per pax <> September 1: $ 50 /pax

inclusive of
- Dinner
- Ge Tai seating
- And exclusive access into festival site

Tour itinerary on 31 August (Mon)
- Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum
- Hungry Ghost Festival Site
- Prayer Walk
- Dinner at Food Street
- Ge Tai

Tour itinerary on 1 September (Tues)
- Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum
- Hungry Ghost Festival Site
- Funeral Paraphernalia
- Ge Tai
- Dinner at Festival Site

How to Book?
Contact the Chinatown Business Association (Jennifer or Jonel)
- Tel: 63720478
- Email: jennifer@chinatown.org.sg or jonel@chinatown.org.sg
- Book by: 26 Aug 09

Meeting Point
Main entrance of Buddha Tooth Relic Temple (facing South Bridge Road).
Registration opens at 5.30pm and closes at 6.15pm

The Gates Of Hell Are Open

Since last mid night (1.08) the seventh month in the Chinese calendar, the most inauspicious time of the year is back. The "Month of the Hungry Ghosts” is a festival widely observed by

Chinese in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia.

Buddhists, Taoists and believers of Chinese folk religions believe that hungry ghosts are ghosts of people that did not find everything they need to survive in their afterlife. If a ghost passes on, but does not have enough food, water, shelter, and other material things, it will come back into the world of the living to scare people and feed off their energy and fear. This month is believed to be the time when the gates of hell are opened to free the hungry ghosts who then wander not only to seek food on Earth but also to cause misfortune to the living. During this dangerous time they suspend all important activities and decisions. At its climax, they celebrate the Festival of the Hungry Ghosts.

This festival goes back to the Buddhist Ullambana Sutra, which tells of Maudgalyayana, who as a young boy left home to become a disciple of Brahma, and later of Buddha. When he attained enlightenment, he remembered his parents and looked for them. He found his father in heaven, but his mother had been reborn into the Realm of the Hungry Ghosts, a realm of hell. She hadn't respected his wish that she welcome any Buddhist monk, and had instead been greedy with money and kindness.

The description of her ghost is terrifying. Her skin was "like that of a golden pheasant when its feathers have been plucked, her bones were like round stones placed one beside the other. Her head was big as a ball, her neck thin as a thread, and her stomach like a great sea swelling out." Because her throat was too narrow to eat or drink, but her belly so distended, she went terribly hungry. But the rice and water that Maudgalyayana gave her caught fire in her belly. So he pled with the Buddha, who instructed him to gather the Buddhist monks and sacrifice food and drink, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. Maudgalyayana did so, and his mother was liberated.
Both Chinese Buddhists and Taoists claim that the Ghost Festival originated with their religion, but its roots are probably in Chinese folk religion and antedates both religions.

In the Tang Dynasty, the Buddhist festival Ullambana and the Ghost Festival were mixed and celebrated together. Chinese Buddhists often say that there is a difference between Ullambana and the traditional Chinese Zhongyuan Jie, usually saying people have mixed superstitions (such as burning joss paper items) and delusional thoughts, rather than think that Ullambana is actually a time of happiness. This time of happiness is sometimes used as a reason for the festival to be called as the Chinese Halloween.

How is it celebrated?

For those who maintain these traditional beliefs, all sorts of activities may grind to a halt. People have to be home before midnight of August 1 so ghosts don’t find “empty” houses to enter and occupy.

I witnessed this year’s start here in Chinatown and at about 9 pm you could see how fast streets emptied and shops shut down to get home in time. The ones who stayed started to set up tables with a tablecloth and chopsticks and plates and glasses of wine, beer, a roasted chicken and duck in the middle of it, but no one sitting at it. That’s because it’s reserved ......for the ghosts.

Even here you could see the “kiasuism” of some Singaporeans trying to be the first to start burning the incenses and offerings, because after one year in hell the ghosts are hungry and the ones serving them first will be blessed with the most luck. If you’re late the ghosts might be already full and not taking your offers! But it’s not only food which is offered daily items for spirits to use in the after-life are being burnt as well, paper effigies of homes, maids, money, (paper) fabrics for making cloths and more. In this modern but still superstitious city’s such as Singapore and Hong Kong, people wind down their nightlife, property and car sales usually enter a lull period during the festival, people are also not supposed to get married and many more activities must stop. I overheard someone saying that when they were young, their parents used to tell them not to go to the beach during the "hungry ghosts" festival because they were afraid that they might be captured by ghosts in the water.