Understand the origin, customs and taboos of the Hungry Ghost Festival at once
In the ancient Han Dynasty, the tradition of preparing sacrifices and praying for peace every year on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month already existed! It is said that at the end of summer and the arrival of autumn, farmers in the past would prepare pigs, chickens, sheep and good wine to offer sacrifices to the gods and thank the earth; after the crops were harvested, they would also use new rice to report to their ancestors what crops were harvested this year and thank them. Blessings from ancestors. The tradition of preparing sacrifices to express gratitude and praying for a safe and successful New Year together has been passed down from generation to generation for a long time.

Therefore, the Ghost Festival was actually a festival to celebrate the harvest and thank the earth! Only after the founding of Taoism and the introduction of Buddhism and the addition of religious overtones did the customs, taboos and legends we are familiar with today come into being. Let’s take a look at the most widely circulated Taoist origin story to commemorate the filial son!

The origin of the Hungry Ghost Festival: It turned out to be the birthday of the filial son
According to legend, in ancient times, there was a man named "Shun". His mother died of illness early, so his father married another wife and gave birth to a son named "Xiang". Shun was very filial to his father and stepmother, and was very kind to his younger brother. He would go out to work to help maintain the family's livelihood. However, Shun's stepmother and younger brother disliked him very much and often made things difficult for him. His father would also listen to his stepmother. He was often beaten and scolded for making one-sided remarks.

Faced with repeated persecution, Shun not only used his intelligence and wisdom to resolve the situation, but also continued to be filial to his parents and care for his younger brother regardless of past grudges. Such rare filial piety and virtue moved God. God sent elephants to plow the land for him and birds to help him weed. The emperor Yao at that time also heard that Shun was intelligent, filial and benevolent, so he took him with him. Governing the country together. After Yao passed away, he directly asked Shun to take over the throne of emperor. Later, Shun was even named the "Di Guan Great Emperor"!

According to folklore, the birthday of Emperor Diguan falls on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, so the 15th day of the seventh lunar month is also known as the "Filial Son's Day". On this day, people will prepare sumptuous offerings of wine and meat to worship Shun, and to make sacrifices for themselves and their children. Ancestors pray for safety and success, and at the same time worship ghosts who have no one to fulfill their filial piety. This is also one of the explanations of Zhongyuan Pudu and why good brothers come out in the seventh month of the lunar calendar!