End of ghost month

End of ghost month
Originally uploaded by orange tuesday

Last Thursday, was the end of ghost month and many places over Taipei held ceremonies. Here's a link about Ghost month - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Festival

The day started early at my local temple. I heard them from my bed at around 6:30, chanting, banging things and generally keeping me awake. Later, when I went down to see what was happening, I was invited to have some food, some local sweet dishes. There were many people there. Some were involved in preparing food for what must have been a feast and others busily sorting out the logistics, arrival of vans, seating arrangements and constantly inviting passers by to join in.

The priest and four assistants where chanting at an attar. It was very relaxing as the chanting was accompanying by some music. The attar was covered in offerings, everything from fresh fruit, to alcohol, ghost money and fireworks. They chanted for the time I was there, 45 minutes.

So the doors of the three realms are closed now (heaven, hell and earth?) but according to my girlfriend, the world is still of ghosts. Here, they have a very different perception of ghosts. I'll have to do some more investigating on this.