Floating lanterns drift atop dark waters during a Ghost Month ceremony, symbolically guiding wandering spirits back to the underworld at the close of the seventh lunar month. (Photo via Unsplash)
Learn the history, rituals, and traditions of this centuries-old Buddhist and Daoist observance.
MANILA – Ghost Month, a centuries-old tradition observed across Chinese and Southeast Asian communities, falls this year between August 23 and September 21, with the Hungry Ghost Festival, or Ghost Day, taking place on September 6.
More than a season of caution, Ghost Month is a religious and cultural observance rooted in Buddhist and Daoist traditions, highlighting remembrance, filial piety, and community harmony.
Religious and Cultural Roots
In Buddhism, the Ullambana Sutra tells of the monk Maudgalyāyana (Mulian), who sought to save his mother from the realm of hungry ghosts. Through offerings and prayers on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, he brought her relief, giving rise to the Ullambana Festival focused on compassion and filial devotion.
In Daoism, the same day is observed as the birthday of Diguan Dadi, the Earthly Official, who pardons sins and accepts offerings. Families not only honored ancestors but also remembered wandering souls, ensuring peace for both the living and the dead.
Over time, these practices merged into what is now known as the Ghost Festival.
Dates for 2025
According to the Hong Kong Observatory’s lunar calendar, Ghost Month in 2025 started on Saturday, August 23. The Hungry Ghost Festival falls on Saturday, September 6, and the period concludes on Sunday, September 21. These dates are consistent across recognized lunar–Gregorian conversion tables.
Rituals and Observances
Throughout Ghost Month, families set up altars with fruits, rice, tea, and incense, and burn joss paper – often fashioned into houses, clothing, or other goods – to provide for spirits in the afterlife.
In many communities, particularly in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia, the season is also marked by open-air banquets and Chinese opera performances, with the first rows symbolically reserved for unseen guests. Another vivid tradition is the release of floating lanterns on rivers and seas, meant to guide wandering souls back to the underworld as the month draws to a close.
Customs and Cautions
The season is also marked by traditional taboos. Swimming is avoided, as waters are believed to be particularly dangerous. Marriages, moving into new homes, or launching major business ventures are often postponed until after Ghost Month.
People are advised against whistling, traveling late at night, or picking up coins from the street, customs believed to prevent encounters with restless spirits.
While these practices are not grounded in science, many families observe them as a gesture of respect for tradition.
Enduring Relevance
Ghost Month continues to hold deep meaning in communities across Asia and the diaspora. It reinforces filial piety by honoring ancestors, emphasizes communal responsibility by remembering souls without families, and strengthens cultural identity by preserving practices across generations.
In the Philippines and other multicultural settings, Ghost Month remains both a spiritual observance and a cultural marker, linking communities to a heritage that endures across centuries.
The 2025 observance which started on August 23 and peaking with the Hungry Ghost Festival on September 6, continues a cycle of remembrance that blends history, ritual, and cultural identity into one of the most distinctive traditions of the lunar calendar.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and cultural purposes. It presents Ghost Month in its historical and religious context and does not endorse or disprove spiritual beliefs, astrology, or related practices.
