Festival · 节日

Ghost Festival (中元节)

Offerings to the ancestors and the restless.

Ghost Festival (中元节, also 鬼节) on lunar 7/15 falls in the middle of "ghost month," when the gates of the underworld are believed to open and spirits wander freely. Families burn paper money and prepare elaborate offerings to keep both ancestors and restless ghosts content.

When does Ghost Festival fall?

• 2026 — Thursday, August 27, 2026 (2026年8月27日)
• 2027 — Monday, August 16, 2027 (2027年8月16日)
• 2028 — Sunday, September 3, 2028 (2028年9月3日)

Traditions

Burning joss paper (烧纸钱)

Stacks of "spirit money" and paper effigies (phones, cars, even mahjong sets) are burned for ancestors' use in the afterlife.

Offering rice + food

A bowl of rice with chopsticks placed upright (something never done at meals) is set out for wandering spirits.

Avoid swimming + night travel

Folk belief warns spirits may pull bathers down or follow night walkers home.

Common questions

What date is Ghost Festival 2026?

Ghost Festival 2026 falls on Wednesday, August 27, 2026 (lunar 7/15).

Is Ghost Festival the same as Halloween?

Both involve the supernatural, but Ghost Festival is reverent and family-centered (honoring ancestors), while Halloween is playful and costume-driven.