The
traditional Chinese calender is lunisolar. Like the traditional
Hindu calender followed in India, an ordinary Chinese year year has
12 months and a leap year, that comes after every three years, has 13
months. Out of the 12 months in an year, the 7th
Lunar month is considered something special. Chinese believe that the
gate of the Chinese Hell, opens on the first day of this Lunar month
at early midnight every year. The suffering spirits from the Hell,
are able to return to their homes to see their descendants and enjoy
grand feasts. But they have only one month as a vacation and have to
return to the Hell on the last day of this month. Since the suffering
spirits from hell return to earth in this, 7th lunar month. The month
is commonly called as the Ghost Month.
I have
never been to China. But I have stayed long enough in Singapore to
observe the way in which Chinese people living in that country,
celebrate this month. Chinese Singaporeans usually observe a
large-scale tradition of paying respects to the dead. One can see
tents sets up all over Singapore, where people congregate to burn
incense sticks and present their offerings in the form of prayer,
fruit such as Mandarin oranges, food such as roasted suckling pig,
bowls of rice and occasionally a local Chinese cake made especially
for the occasion.
However,
Singaporeans probably believe that just offering food is not enough
to comfort the hungry suffering spirits and they should have some
entertainment. So it is time for some Chinese Operas popularly known
as “Wayyang” and musical shows known as “Getai.” Both are
really boisterous live performances not only depicting tales of the
divine gods and goddesses, but also bawdy stand-up comedies with a
local twang, song and dance numbers in the various Chinese dialects
and even sensually acrobatic pole dancing by dancers. Everyone is
invited to to watch the show but you can not sit in the front row,
which is reserved for the hungry ghosts.
Not
everyone has time to go to these tents to pay respects to hungry
ghosts. Singapore authorities set up special joss paper bins for
people to burn their paper money and pictures of various luxuries of
modern life like cars, televisions, houses, clothes and even food. It
is believed that it would get translated into great fortune in the
afterlife. Small altars can also be seen outside many homes, both on
private property and in public housing areas.
I am
reminded of these Singapore rituals, because Indians also follow
similar kind of tradition in the second fortnight of the Hindu month
of “Bhadrapada,” which they dedicate to their forefathers. People
generally arrange special feasts and prepare dishes, which were
favourites of their departed parents or grand parents and invite a
Brahmin for the feast. They believe that when the Brahmin eats the
food, it reaches their forefathers. During the so called religious
rituals, known as “Shraddha,” which are carried out before this
feast, it is a common practice to prepare balls of rice as symbolic
representations of departed ancestors.
I
would not like to comment on these beliefs, because it is really in
the personal domain of an individual. No amount of arguing, even when
based on perfect logic, would usually make any difference to such
moribund thinking of an individual deeply stuck in traditions.
Indians
also think this fortnight to be the most inauspicious period of the
year. No new projects are ever taken up and it is believed that
anything started during this fortnight is doomed to be a non starter
or failure. People would not even buy new gadgets, cars. They will
book these things but ask the delivery after the fortnight is over.
Next
month, we would be having general elections to elect the state
Government, which shall rule our state for next five years. The
election process has been already initiated by the election
commission 10 days before. Surprisingly, no party would declare their
candidates in this fortnight. Similarly no hopeful candidate has
dared to file his nomination in this period because it is believed to
be inauspicious. I find it just amazing to see how tradition bound
the Indians really are.
29th
September 2014
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