Each year, when the seventh lunar month arrives, many Chinese families in Singapore turn their thoughts to their ancestors with special reverence. Known as the Seventh Month or Zhong Yuan Jie (中元节) — and popularly as the Hungry Ghost Festival — this season carries deep meaning of filial devotion and remembrance. Here, we look calmly at where the Seventh Month comes from, the beliefs behind it, its common customs and offerings, the taboos worth observing, and how families honour their ancestors during this time.
What Is the Seventh Month?
The Seventh Month refers to the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which usually falls between August and September. Zhong Yuan Jie, on the fifteenth day, is the focal point of the season, though remembrance and offerings often continue throughout the entire month. It is a time when the Chinese community places special importance on honouring ancestors and remembering those who have passed.
The Beliefs Behind It
It is traditionally believed that during the Seventh Month, the boundary between the worlds opens for a time, allowing the spirits of the departed to return. Families therefore make offerings and prayers to honour their own ancestors, and also to remember wandering spirits who have no one to pay them respects. At its heart, this practice is really about gratitude and love — a way of continuing remembrance and filial devotion through action.
Common Customs and Offerings
Throughout the Seventh Month, families and communities express their remembrance in many ways. Common customs include:
- Burning joss paper and incense in memory of ancestors
- Presenting food offerings — often the ancestor's favourite dishes
- Community getai (stage performances) that bring neighbourhoods together
- Visiting a columbarium or temple to pay respects to one's own loved ones
Taboos to Observe During the Seventh Month
The Seventh Month also carries a number of long-held taboos, kept out of respect rather than fear. These include avoiding staying out late at night, not stepping on or disturbing roadside offerings, and refraining from major celebrations such as weddings or moving house during the month. How closely a family observes them varies — it is more a matter of heartfelt respect than a strict rule.
Honouring Your Own Ancestors During This Time
Beyond the community observances, many families use the Seventh Month to visit the columbarium and spend time with their own loved ones. Offering a stick of incense, presenting a small offering, or simply sitting quietly for a while are all gentle ways of continuing family bonds and filial devotion — and of teaching younger generations to remember and respect those who came before.
Observing the Seventh Month with Nirvana
Each Seventh Month, Nirvana Memorial Garden Singapore holds a Zhong Yuan Enlightenment Ceremony (中元法会), a dignified service of prayers and blessings for the departed. If you are unable to attend in person, our pray-on-behalf service allows us to make the offerings and prayers on your behalf, so your remembrance and filial intention are fulfilled.
You can learn more about our pray-on-behalf services and prayer services, or explore our columbarium.
Talk It Through with Us
Whether you would like to take part in the Zhong Yuan ceremony or arrange a pray-on-behalf offering, we are glad to explain things patiently and make the arrangements with care. Do reach out to us for an unhurried, no-obligation conversation.