In Taiwan, the “Ghost Month” is on the seventh Lunar month. The gate to the "Underworld" will be opened at 11 PM on the first day of the month and all of the ghosts and spirits will enter the world of the living.
The Ghost Festival (or Chungyuan Festival) on the 15th day of Ghost Month.
During this time, “Zhongyuan Pudu” is held in temples all over Taiwan, offering feasts and entertainment to the ghosts and spirits.
What do people do during this time? People honor their ancestors through:
Offerings of food
Lighting incense sticks
Burning joss paper/ghost money (= the currency($) in the Underworld)
It’s believed that people should please the wandering ghosts so that they won’t be bothered. Offerings are placed on tables outside of the house, so that the ghosts do not enter their homes.
It's basically like the Memorial Day for the spirits. You can think of it as Halloween.
Now, let's practice reading! Read the BBC article below:
Article on Psychology: The truth about the paranormal
What is the article about? (summary)
How much of the population in America believes in the paranormal? How many of them claimed to have actually seen a ghost?
According to the article, what may be some causes of paranormal experiences?
What does “knocking on wood” mean? Why do people do it?
Do you believe in the paranormal? Why or why not?
How easy is it for us to imagine strange happenings when we feel unsettled? Why is that?
What words are new to you? Make your own sentence.
↘Comment below your experience about the Ghost Festival. Tag a friend 👻 ↙