- Categories:
- Cultural
- Tags:
- Cultural Holidays
- Where:
- China
- Date change rule:
- 15th day of the 7th month of the Chinese lunar calendar
- Holiday emoji:
- 👻
Spirit Festival, also known as Ghost Festival, honors ancestors and wandering spirits every year on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month. This ancient Chinese tradition involves special ceremonies and offerings to ensure peace for both the living and the dead. Join in the observance by learning about its history, participating in local cultural events, or sharing its significance with others.
Want to sponsor Spirit Festival? Learn how
Expected Spirit Festival Deals
As a solemn cultural observance, Spirit Festival typically sees a focus on community-led events and family gatherings rather than commercial deals. However, many Asian grocery stores like H Mart and 99 Ranch Market often stock special ingredients, paper offerings, and incense for traditional ceremonies. Cultural organizations and temples may host donation drives to support their community events and preservation efforts. We will update this page with confirmed local cultural events as August 27 approaches, encouraging participation in respectful remembrance and traditional practices.
Platform Guide for Spirit Festival
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #SpiritFestival. Share respectful photos of offerings, traditional foods, or community gatherings.
Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #SpiritFestival. Share articles on the festival’s history or local observance events.
TikTok
Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #SpiritFestival. Film educational videos explaining the traditions or showcasing cultural practices.
Spirit Festival Hero
Di Zang Wang
History of Spirit Festival
Ghost Festival is a holiday that usually takes place on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month. This day usually falls in August in our Western calendar. It is traditionally observed by people in China. Ghost Festival is just one of the numerous traditional festivals in China that are dedicated to worshiping ancestors. Some of the other festivals include the Spring Festival, Double Ninth Festival, and the Qingming Festival.
During the Ghost Festival, people perform unique ceremonies to avoid the wrath of the spirits. People are known to burn incense while they put the ancestral tablets of the family on a table and prepare meals three times that day.
The main ceremony, which is usually held at dusk, is when they put out plates of food for the ghosts on the table. Here, the people kowtow, reporting their behavior to their ancestors expecting to either receive a blessing or punishment from them. This night is also known for feasting. A place is sometimes left open at the table for a lost ancestor.
There is a belief by some people in China that the ghosts of Chinese ancestors are let out as realms of the living, Heaven, and Hell is open on the first day of Hungry Ghost Month. The seventh lunar month has been considered to be the scariest month of the year by the Chinese for thousands of years. The spirits are believed to roam around looking for entertainment and food. During this time, many fearful Chinese people try to avoid swimming. They also avoid being alone at night out of fear that an enemy ghost may harm them.
In other Asian countries where this festival is observed, live performances are held to which everyone is invited. However, they usually leave the first row of seats as they believe the visiting ghosts are meant to sit there.
Spirit Festival timeline
Historical records show the first activities of ancestor worship in autumn during the pre-Qin period.
The Tang Dynasty advocates Taoism and the Festival begins to flourish.
Ancestor worship is observed by emperors and princes.
The composition of texts and poems to pay tribute to dead family members begins.
The Vatican issues an edict to stop ancestor worship, which the Chinese authorities discarded.
How Businesses Can Celebrate Spirit Festival
Local businesses, especially those in areas with significant Chinese communities, can respectfully acknowledge Spirit Festival. Asian restaurants might offer special menus featuring traditional dishes like rice cakes or dumplings. Grocery stores can create displays for paper offerings, incense, and other ceremonial items. Cultural centers can host educational workshops or community gatherings, inviting local businesses to support through sponsorship or by providing relevant goods.
Spirit Festival FAQs
When is Spirit Festival?
Spirit Festival 2026 falls on Thursday, August 27. This annual observance, also known as Ghost Festival, is a significant cultural event for many communities, dedicated to honoring ancestors and placating wandering spirits.
What is the origin of Spirit Festival?
The Spirit Festival has roots in both Buddhist and Taoist traditions, evolving from ancient harvest festivals and ancestor worship. It is believed to have originated from the Buddhist Ullambana Sutra and the Taoist Zhongyuan Festival, merging into a widespread observance.
How is Spirit Festival observed globally?
Spirit Festival is primarily observed in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, and other countries with significant Chinese diaspora communities. Celebrations vary but often include burning incense, paper offerings, and elaborate feasts.
What rituals are performed during Spirit Festival?
Key rituals include offering food, ‘hell money,’ and other paper effigies to ancestors and wandering spirits. Families also light incense, burn joss paper, and float lotus lanterns on water to guide the spirits, often accompanied by elaborate feasts.
How to Observe Spirit Festival
Learn about China
Learning more about China will help you discover more about their people and culture. It is a culture with a rich and vibrant history and any scholar would be enthralled with discovering more.
Remember an ancestor
You can use the holiday as an opportunity to remember or honor a lost family member. There is no better way to honor life than through celebration.
Eat Chinese food
Feasts are an important part of the festival. You can enjoy some Chinese cuisine to celebrate the festival.
5 Amazing Facts About Spirits
Pond Square in London's Highgate
A half-naked, half-frozen chicken haunts the area of Pond Square in London's Highgate.
Spirits can be pictured
It is believed that using a high-definition full spectrum camera at night can capture spirits.
Spirits can haunt devices
It is believed that taking pictures of spirits can invite them to haunt the devices.
Spirits can bring misfortune
The Chinese believe that vengeful spirits can bring terrible misfortune.
Leg hair can scare away spirits
Chinese folklore believes that each strand of leg hair can scare away three ghosts thereby protecting the person.
Why Spirit Festival is Important
It maintains tradition
The holiday has been a part of Chinese culture for many years. It helps to maintain traditional beliefs.
It honors the dead
The holiday is a way for people to honor those who came before them. This way, they can stay accountable to them.
It creates unity
The holiday is observed by believers around the country. Having similar beliefs and practices helps create unity among people.
Spirit Festival dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | September 6 | Saturday |
| 2026 | August 27 | Thursday |
Social Media Tips for Spirit Festival
Individuals
Creators
Brands