I Went to a Phor Thor (Hungry Ghost festival)
function with MP of Rasah last night in Batu 8 Labu. In Seremban, there
are about 50 over Phor Thor functions and most of it are by invitation
only.
YB Teo Kok Seong was invited to give out chiffon cakes and other food items sponsored by the locals there.
The Hungry Ghost Festival (Phor Thor in Malaysia) is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated by Chinese in many countries.
YB Teo Kok Seong was invited to give out chiffon cakes and other food items sponsored by the locals there.
From left to right
: Wong Thim Choy, Elvin Lee, Nicole Tan, village leader, YB Teo Kok Seong, Lee, villager, villager and Ah Poh (our Labu comrade)
The Hungry Ghost Festival (Phor Thor in Malaysia) is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated by Chinese in many countries.
In
Chinese tradition, the 15th day of the 7th
month in the lunar calendar (Ghost Month) is called Ghost Day, in which ghosts
and spirits, including those of the deceased
ancestors, come out from the lower realm to visit the living !! This is quite different from
both the Qingming Festival (in spring) and Chung Yeung Festival (in autumn) in which
living descendants pay respects to their deceased ancestors.
On
the 15th day, the gate between realms of Heaven and Hell and the realm of the
living are open. Both Taoists and Buddhists would perform rituals to absolve
the sufferings of the deceased (presumably, the ones in Heaven, oops sorry, I
mean Hell). I am reminded about the joke of which one guy said he when he dies,
he prefers to go to Hell as all his friends are there.
The
religious festivities includes ancestor
worship, like preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense,
and burning joss paper,
a papier-mâché form of material items or effigies
such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the
ancestors. For the Hungry Ghosts festival, even the younger generation are
being worshipped as distinguished from Qingming.
Elaborate
meals (often vegetarian meals) would be served with empty seats for each of the
deceased in the family treating the deceased as if they are still living.
Other
festivities include, releasing miniature paper boats and lanterns
on water, which signifies giving directions to the lost ghosts and spirits of
the ancestors and other deities.
In
Malaysia today, live concert-like performances are held and everyone is invited
to attend. The first row of seats are always left empty for the ghosts to sit.
The shows are always in the night and at
high volumes as the sound is believed to attract and please the ghosts.
Those
live burlesque shows are popularly known as 'Koh-tai' by Hokkien-speaking
people for "Merry-making". I remember once, a medium spoke on behalf
of Hades (God of Hell) that he doesn’t like watching all these burlesque shows.
The show went ahead as the organisers said that if Hades doesn’t like it then the worshippers
can still enjoy ! This is a far cry from those days of which Chinese Opera was performed.
Then : Chinese Opera for Hungry Ghosts
Sexy Dancers for Hungry Ghosts
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