國立教育廣播電臺

Hope:

Hey, Joey, the Ghost month is around the corner. Do you know when it starts and when it ends?

Joey:

I know. In Taiwan, the Ghost month falls in 農曆七月。

Hope:

In the seventh month of the Lunar calendar.

Joey:

Yes, and the elderly believe that the gate to the hell opens on the first day of the month.

So, the ghosts will come back to visit our world. Then, they will leave by end of the month.

The gate to the hell will close on the last day of the month.

Hope:

Wow, you know a lot. Do you know any taboos about this special month?

Joey:

Taboos?

Hope:

Yes, taboo means禁忌. Something you had better not do or say when it comes to a taboo.

Joey:

Oh! I know! For example, my grandma says we can’t call them ‘ghosts.’

Instead, we should call them ‘good brothers and good sisters.’

Hope:

That’s interesting. I think we call them good brothers and good sisters because they are friendly spirits, too.

You respect them, and they respect you.

Joey:

That’s right. About some other taboos…….I have heard someone says you had better not 到河邊或海邊戲水。

Hope:

Going swimming or playing with water by rivers or the ocean?!

Joey:

嗯! 最好不要啦! And others suggest not buying cars in this month, not staying out late, not whistling at night, etc.

There are quite many.

Hope:

Yes. I have heard about those taboos, too. There are a lot of no-no’s you should never do.

Joey:

By the way, on 農曆七月十五…

Hope:

On the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the Lunar Calendar.

Joey:

On the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the Lunar Calendar, it is called中元節,

and it is also known as the Ghost Festival. Many people, who follow the traditional customs, always prepare lots of 祭品 …

Hope:

They provide offerings to the good spirits.

Joey:

Yes, they prepare some food offerings to the good brothers and good sisters on the day or before the day.

Joey:

And they burn 香 and 紙錢 to them, too.

Hope:

They burn incense sticks and paper money to them, too.

Wow, there are a lot to learn about this special custom.

Joey:

Yes, but like we said earlier, we should always respect the spirits, so they will respect us, too.