Do Other Cultures Have a Ghost Month Similar to the Chinese Ghost Festival?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of ghost month and its cultural significance, particularly comparing the Chinese Ghost Festival with similar traditions in other cultures, such as Halloween in the US and Europe. Participants explore the origins of these traditions and their timing in relation to other cultural observances like Ramadan.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that the Ghost Festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the Chinese calendar, suggesting a connection to the belief that the dead can walk the Earth during this time.
  • One participant points out that Ramadan also occurs around this time, but another corrects that Ramadan ended 2-1/2 months ago, implying that the timing is not directly comparable.
  • There is a mention of Halloween as a potential equivalent in the US and Europe, with some participants questioning whether it is observed as a religious holiday or merely a secular celebration.
  • One participant highlights that All Hallow's Eve originated as a religious observance but has since transformed into a more secular event.
  • Concerns are raised about the differences in lunar and solar calendars, with a participant explaining that Ramadan is a lunar month while the Chinese calendar is luni-solar, leading to differences in timing.
  • Another participant questions the accuracy of the Chinese calendar in relation to the Earth's position around the sun, prompting a response that emphasizes the constancy of the sun's position regardless of calendar differences.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the significance and observance of Halloween, as well as the comparison of lunar and solar calendars. There is no consensus on whether other cultures have a ghost month equivalent to the Chinese Ghost Festival.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes various assumptions about cultural practices and the nature of calendar systems, which may not be fully resolved. The relationship between lunar and solar calendars is also a point of contention.

lucas_
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Today (or tomorrow) depending on your time zone is ghost month day. Here is what it is:

http://www.holidayscalendar.com/event/ghost-festival/"Ghost Festival Celebrated by Buddhists and Taoists all over Asia, the Ghost Festival is a holiday that is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the Chinese calendar. It is believed that on this day the gates of hell are opened and the dead are allowed to walk the Earth in search for food."

Ramadan also occurs around this time. I'd like to know if your tradition has similar superstition around this time?

Where do you think all these originated? The source of the myths and legends? In the US and Europe, do you have ghost month too? What month is it?
 
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lucas_ said:
Ramadan also occurs around this time.

Ramadan ended 2-1/2 months ago. If you allow +/- 2.5 months, half the year falls into this category.
 
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This thread is spooky. I'm getting freaked out. Is this related to the time travel thread that we just deleted tomorrow? o0)
 
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lucas_ said:
In the US and Europe, do you have ghost month too? What month is it?

We have halloween on October 31st.
 
I'm curious, did (or does) anyone here from Europe\North America ever observe halloween like a religious holiday? I don't recall anyone ever celebrating this as anything other than a candy grab or party excuse.
 
DavidSnider said:
I'm curious, did (or does) anyone here from Europe\North America ever observe halloween like a religious holiday? I don't recall anyone ever celebrating this as anything other than a candy grab or party excuse.
All Hallow's Eve (the evening before All Saints Day) started out as a religious observance, but no longer is.
 
berkeman said:
This thread is spooky. I'm getting freaked out. Is this related to the time travel thread that we just deleted tomorrow? o0)
Not yet, but it will be.
 
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lucas_ said:
Ramadan also occurs around this time.
Ramadan is a lunar month that's part of a 12-month lunar year, and therefore drifts through the seasons, earlier each time. The Chinese calendar is luni-solar and keeps pace with the seasons because it adds a leap month when necessary. They cannot be compared.
 
Why are Chinese dates so different from the 365 calendar? for example, their new year is around February or vary. Which is more accurate or really indicate of the Earth position around the sun?
 
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lucas_ said:
Which is more accurate or really indicate of the Earth position around the sun?

Huh? The sun is where it is on a given date, no matter what word you use to identify that date.
 

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