This time last year at my day job, we were planning to launch a huge event. It had been long-awaited and overdue, so we were determined to move forward with the nearest plausible date. When we finally agreed on one, we were excited! We just wanted to get this done.

Until someone said, “Ay wait, Ghost Month daw ‘yan!” (“Oh wait, that’s Ghost Month!”)

Ugh. Back to the drawing board.

And unfortunately for me, someone had to ask: “Ano ba talaga ang Ghost Month?” (“What is Ghost Month, really?”)

All eyes turned to me, the only Chinese-Filipino in the meeting room. Oh no! 

 Intensified Sweating Meme

I shrugged and said the only thing I knew: “Malas daw.” (“It’s unlucky.”). To my relief, they accepted that. I mean, yeah, Chinese people and their luck, totally normal.

But in truth, I didn’t really know the answer. I didn’t grow up learning about Ghost Month in a Chinese Christian school, and though my family is traditional in many ways, they never forced the practice on us. We just followed the usual: no big trips, no grand openings, no life-altering decisions. To many, Ghost Month is “scary,” and that word alone — ghost — is probably why.

I wish I could say I immediately did my research last year. But it took someone asking me again this time around, and curiosity finally got the best of me. I started asking the questions I should’ve asked long ago. Thankfully, I had the chance to speak with genealogy expert Nathan Co, who helped me better appreciate Ghost Month, not fear it.

So what exactly is this practice that’s so deeply rooted in Chinese culture — but ironically, so often misunderstood? Let’s talk about it.

Why Is Ghost Month So “Scary”?

Let’s get technical first. Ghost Month begins on the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar. On the Gregorian calendar, it usually falls in August. This 2025, it starts on August 23 and ends September 21. The most significant date is the Hungry Ghost Festival or 中元節 Zhōng Yuán Jié  on September 6, the 15th lunar day.

Credits to Nathan Co from Chinese Ancestry Research 

Traditionally the Gates of the Underworld open on the first day of the seventh month; the 15th-day Zhōngyuán Jié 中元節 is the peak of activity.  

According to tradition, spirits, often referred to as “hungry ghosts,” are believed to return to the earthly realm. Many are said to have been forgotten, neglected, or improperly honored by their descendants. As a result, they roam the earth in search of offerings and peace.

This belief is why people avoid major activities during this time:

• Launching new businesses or ventures

• Traveling long distances

• Moving homes

• Getting married

• Undergoing surgery or medical procedures

No doubt, it sounds ominous; even apocalyptic. But here’s the thing: this fear didn’t come from nowhere. It was shaped over centuries by layers of myth, religious influence, and social values. And yes, the word “ghost” doesn’t exactly help.

But what if I told you guǐ 鬼 — the word for ghost — wasn’t always about fear?

When we look past the painted image of ghosts that popular culture has handed us, 鬼 guǐ emerges not as a monster, but as a presence steeped in dignity and ancestral memory.

Revisiting “Guǐ 鬼”: The Soul That Returns

Rather than a ghoulish figure, the “hungry ghost” 飢餓鬼 — or “hungry spirit” — reflects a belief in the ongoing reciprocity between the living and the departed. The seventh lunar month was seen as a time when worlds overlapped, and guǐ 鬼 could mingle with the living. Hunger here was not only about food, but about remembrance — a reminder that the departed still yearn for care from their descendants.

In its earliest Chinese usage, guǐ 鬼 carried no sinister or demonic overtones. It simply referred to the spirit of a person after death — neither virtuous nor malicious by nature. A guǐ 鬼 was the lingering presence of the departed, waiting to be acknowledged and sustained through offerings, prayers, and the love of the living.

Early sources treat guǐ 鬼 without horror. Lǐjì 禮記 says “魂氣歸於天，形魄歸於地” (“the soul-breath returns to Heaven; the bodily spirit returns to Earth”); Shuōwén Jiězì 說文解字 glosses ghost as “人所歸為鬼” (“that to which people return becomes guǐ”); and Zhōngyōng 中庸 praises “鬼神之為德，其盛矣乎” (“how abundant are the powers of ghosts and spirits”), suggesting reverence rather than fear.

In idioms, 鬼 can praise uncanny talent — guǐcái 鬼才 (“one hell of a talent”) and guǐfǔ shéngōng 鬼斧神工 (“craftsmanship as if carved by spirits”).

But over time, the meaning shifted:

• As religion grew, ghosts became moral figures — rewarded or punished based on earthly behavior.

• Popular stories painted them as vengeful or malevolent spirits.

• Guǐ evolved into a symbol of misfortune, fear, and spiritual imbalance.

Still, at its root, the ghost is not a monster, but a memory. A return. A call to remember where we came from.

 

Ghost Month: A Time to Remember, Not to Fear

Similarly, in both Taoist and Buddhist belief systems, Ghost Month is not a horror story but a sacred season of remembrance. The spirits that return are not strangers; they are our ancestors.

This is why families light incense and pray, prepare food offerings, and burn joss paper shaped like money, clothes, gadgets — even whole mansions or cars. These are all symbolic ways of saying, “We remember you. We honor you. We still care.”

Far from being a time of avoidance, Ghost Month is actually an invitation. It’s a pause, a ritual, a season of gratitude for those who came before us. It’s not meant to keep the souls away, but to honor and recognize them, reminding them that they are still deeply loved. 

It’s beautifully tied to filial piety (xiào 孝), the Confucian virtue of honoring parents and elders, even beyond death. Guǐ 鬼 helped enforce this moral order, reminding the living of their ongoing duty to the dead. Even in dreams, a visit from a loved one wasn’t a haunting, but a reunion.

Credits to Voices From Antiquity Blogpost

Ghost Month, at its core, is not about hiding. It’s about remembering, an invitation to honor one’s kin, practice empathy, and preserve the harmony of the moral order — a reminder that the living of now will become the guǐ of the next generation. 

 

But What If You Don’t Observe It Religiously?

I get it — not everyone lights incense or performs rituals. I personally don’t. 

Many of us grew up in mixed-religion households, or in more modern Huárén 华人 families where these customs were toned down. Some of us only follow the “don’ts” because our parents or grandparents said so. Some don’t follow them at all.

And that’s okay.

Because ultimately, remembrance takes many forms. It can be a quiet moment, a story shared, a prayer offered, or even a meal prepared in memory of a loved one. I know for a fact that my grandparents are smiling seeing us gathered around for a meal, honoring their memory. 

You may not share the belief that the departed walk among us, but you can still respect those who hold it dear. To honor Ghost Month is not to adopt every ritual, but to recognize it as a moment of deep meaning for those who observe it, and perhaps also remember your loved ones. 

 

Let’s Talk About Ghost Month Differently

As a Chinese-Filipino, I’ve come to see how important it is to understand what Ghost Month really means and to explain it with clarity and heart.

If we in the Huárén 华人 diaspora, who are connected to the tradition, don’t grasp its beauty and meaning, how can we expect others to?

When we reduce Ghost Month to “malas lang yan” (that’s just bad luck) or “basta bawal ‘yan,” (that’s not allowed) we turn a meaningful ritual into mere superstition that propagates unnecessary fear.

But when we speak about filial piety, remembrance, and ancestral gratitude, we pass on something lasting. 

So the next time someone asks me, “What is Ghost Month?” I won’t just shrug and say, “malas daw.” I’ll say, “It’s a time of honoring the souls who came before us and making sure they’re not forgotten.” 

And I hope you do, too! 

 

References: 

• Co, N. (2024, July 25). Neutral Concept of Gui. 
• Co, N. (2025, August 13). Hungry Ghosts Definition.
• Co, N. (2024, August 1). “Behold, the Gates to the Underworld Re-Opens on August 4th!”. Chinese Ancestry Research. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ZZeRaMM8J/?mibextid=wwXIfr 
• Co, N. (2023, August 16). Ghost Month. Chinese Ancestry Research. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1G1uMXesop/?mibextid=wwXIfr 

 

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