Ghost Festival and World Cat Day

Yesterday was World Cat Day and I did the unforgivable. It passed without my being aware of it. I mean, I know 7 August was World Cat Day, but yesterday was an extremely busy day for me. Mum was in pain the whole morning, and up to 12:15pm, she still couldn't get up to have her breakfast. Then, hubby and I had to go to Kwong Tong Cemetery & Columbarium, where my father-in-law's urn was kept, for the ghost festival. When I returned, mum was still in pain. And so I forgot all about World Cat Day until this evening, when I went online. I'd have to make it up to my kitties.


The ghost festival began on 31 July 2011 and would last till 14 August 2011. Growing up, I was a curious child. I would ask my late grandmother about the Taoist rites that I saw our neighbours along the road performed. One of them was the ghost festival. 


The Taoists believe that when a person dies, Ox-Head and Horse-Face (Goo-Tau Beh-Bin in Hokkien), two fearsome guardians of hades, would escort the departed soul to the king of hades (Giam Loh Ong in Hokkien) for judgement. If they had been good, they would be in a midway 'house', a place in between heaven and earth. If they had been bad, they would be punished and tortured in purgatory (picture their hands and feet bound in chains, being whipped, and locked up in cells). 


According to Taoist mythology, once a year, on the first day of the seventh lunar month, the gates of hell would be opened and that is when the ghosts utilise their 15 days' annual leave. That said, there seems to be a conflict of whether the ghosts' holiday is 15 days or 30 days long. Perhaps the ghosts are now entitled to 15 days' medical leave, taken together with their annual leave??!


Anyway, if you'd like to read more about this mythology, at the bottom of the page are a few links.


At the columbarium yesterday, there was a big paper ship. I was told that the dead will be taken on a holiday to China. 

The ticket for the voyage

Effigy of the King of Hades...I wonder if he'll be going to China, too?

Related post:

Hungry Ghost Festival (Pesta Hantu Lapar) --blogged in 2008

Links:

Ox-Head and Horse-Face

The King of Hades, or Giam Loh Ong

Selamat Hari Raya Adilfitri

Wishing all my Muslim friends Selamat Hari Raya Adilfitri and have a safe trip if you are going to balik kampung. 

Qing Ming in Malaysia

Yesterday was Qing Ming. In China, people visit the graves of departed family members, sweep the tombs and plant trees at the grave sites. They also celebrate by flying kites, singing and dancing. And they do this on Qing Ming day itself.

In Malaysia, people start visiting the graves of the dead 10 days before Qing Ming, and continue doing so until 10 days after Qing Ming. In Malaysia, there is no singing or dancing parties, neither are there kite-flying or planting of trees. 

So, what do Malaysians do at Qing Ming? Well, a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'm just going to be economical and post pictures instead.

An onslaught of incense and candle smoke greeted us upon our arrival.

Saw a family overcome with emotion.....must be their first Qing Ming.

Mini "planter-boxes" (sorry, don't know what they are called) were provided by the temple for devotees to sacrifice food and burn joss sticks to the dead.

Where are those people going, with joss sticks in hand?

Hmmm.....let's follow them.

Oh I see.....they are going upstairs to call the dead from the columburiams to come downstairs and eat the food they have brought.

A close-up look at the food....some brought beer, too!!

And.....if there's a prize for the most expensive offering, this family should get it. A roast pig!! Wow, the dead has better food than me....Lol..!!!

While the dead is munching away on the food, the living is taking a rest under the shade. My mother-in-law told me that the dead has finished eating when the joss stick has burned out.

And what is this?? A city council dumpster on fire??

On closer look, it is paper cars, paper money and paper clothes being sacrificed to the dead. 

Some families wanted to make sure those offerings get delivered to their departed family, so they wrote their names and address on the boxes. Well, that was what they told me when I asked them about the yellow paper with Chinese writing on the boxes. 

It was also a hey-day for the beggars who lined up the roads & pavements at Kwong Tong Cemetery. In anticipation of a good day, they came armed with huge, plastic containers (about 10" in diameter). They weren't disappointed as their bowls are filled to the brim with RM1 notes. I saw them bunching up the notes and stuffing them into their pockets to make room for more donations. Too bad  I forgot to take a picture of them. It was hot and the smoke was getting into my eyes, and I was getting a bit grumpy.  :(

Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009

For some reason, I am more excited about new year eve than I am about Chinese new year eve. Maybe it has to do with a change in calendar and diary that gives me the festive mood. 

Anyway, whatever it is, yesterday, I started counting down to year 2009 from as early as 7:09pm. Talk about kiasu-ness.....hahaha. Taking a tip from what I learned about night photography (related post here), I set up my 8-year-old tripod at my living room balcony at 7:09pm and started shooting away.

View of Sri Damansara (I love the ominious contrast of the sky)

View of KLCC, KL Tower, Bukit Bintang and Dataran Merdeka

At last.....9 minutes to year 2009 

*standing at the balcony, waiting for the fireworks display*

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...!!! Boom! Bang! Boom! There goes the fireworks. I did not video record the fireworks in KLCC, Bukit Bintang or Dataran Merdeka as there was another one right in my face, courtesy of Kepong Food Court. It was a scaled-down version of the one they had last year, so they're not really that grand. Nevertheless, I decided to record it regardless. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!

DEAREST FAMILY MEMBERS, FRIENDS & READERS, 

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS 

TO ALL OF YOU

AND HAPPY 2009!!!!

*muacks! muacks! hugs! hugs!*

Below is a video dedicated specially to all of you. Enjoy........!!

And below...specially for cats & dogs lovers. Enjoy...!!

Happy Merdeka!!

Malaysia celebrates its 51st year of independence from colonial rule in less than an hour from now, on Sunday, 31 August 2008.

May there be continued peace, harmony and prosperity in the country.
One nation, one people, one country.
Long live Malaysia.

Hungry Ghost Festival (Pesta Hantu Lapar)

Today, or rather, yesterday, considering that it's now past midnight, was the 15th day of the 7th month of the Lunar calendar. This day marks the Festival of the Hungry Ghosts.

It is believed by Taoists in China and other parts of Asia like Malaysia and Singapore that on the 1st day of the 7th month of the Lunar calendar, the spirits of the dead will be released from their cells in hell and allowed to roam the earth for a month. So those who have departed ancestors would offer prayers, food, hell money, paper cars, paper houses and clothes to their departed ones.

The believers would also put up live stage shows during this month to entertain the spirits. It is therefore quite common to see the players and singers performing to rows of empty seats. It takes a brave man or woman to sit at the front row, for he or she might be sitting on the lap of a ghost!

It is also common to see roadsides littered with prayer items such as food, hell money and incense.These are offered to appease the wandering spirits so that these spirits would not cause mischief to them or their family.

During this month, it is not unusual to hear the elderly folks caution their children against going out after dark, or driving past a cemetery. Superstition or logical deduction? It's your call.

Related post:
Ghost Festival and World Cat Day