What to wear during the Ghost Festival to ward off evil spirits

Wearing yellow clothes during the Ghost Festival can ward off evil spirits.

The Ghost Festival is an important festival in traditional Chinese culture and is also a day for people to worship their ancestors. On this special day, people will worship their ancestors and also carry out a series of folk activities. Among them, wearing yellow clothes to ward off evil spirits is one of the traditions of the Hungry Ghost Festival.

On the Hungry Ghost Festival, there are many reasons why people wear yellow clothes to ward off evil spirits. One theory is that yellow is considered to ward off evil spirits in traditional culture. Because yellow is one of the five elements, representing earth, and earth can overcome water. Water represents Kan Gua in Bagua. Kan Gua governs the north. The north is where ghosts and gods live, so wearing yellow clothes can ward off evil spirits.

Another theory is that yellow was regarded as a sacred color in ancient times because yellow cloth came down from the sky, so yellow clothes had the effect of warding off evil spirits. In addition, yellow was also the exclusive color of ancient emperors. Ordinary people were not allowed to wear yellow clothes at will, so wearing yellow clothes also had the effect of warding off evil spirits.

Customs of the Ghost Festival

Hebei: Botou City and Nanpi County carry fruits, preserved meat, wine, money, etc. to their ancestors’ gravesites on July 15th to offer sacrifices. And holding the grain to the field stalks is called "recommending new things". During the Ghost Festival in Guangping County, people worship their ancestors with fresh food, and prepare fruits, vegetables, and steamed sheep to give to their grandchildren, which is called "giving sheep." On the 15th day of the seventh lunar month in Qinghe County, people visit the graves to offer sacrifices and present steamed noodle sheep to their daughters.

Shanxi: Scholars in Yonghe County worship Kuixing on this day. Shepherds in Changzi County slaughter sheep to compete with the gods on the Hungry Ghost Festival. According to folklore, this can increase sheep production. Meats were also given to relatives. Those who were poor and had no sheep would be replaced by steamed noodles in the shape of sheep. Farmers in Yangcheng County make wheat scraps into the shapes of cats, tigers and grains and offer sacrifices in the fields, which is called "Xingtian". During the Ghost Festival in Mayi County, people make wheat noodles into the shapes of children, named "moodle people", and give them to each other's relatives' children. Farmers in Xin County hang five-color paper on field stalks during the Ghost Festival.

Henan: When worshiping local officials in the Zhongyuan Dynasty in Shangqiu County, paper flags were hung at the door. Legend has it that they can prevent insects. Kite flying during the Ghost Festival in Mengjin County. On July 15th in Jiaxian County, a circle of ash is drawn in front of the door and paper balls are burned inside the circle to worship ancestors.

Shandong: Changdao fishermen made small boats out of wooden rafts, pasted a note "For ××" or a memorial tablet for those who drowned in the sea, and then loaded them with food, clothing, shoes and socks, and other utensils. Then the candles are lit and the married man launches the boat into the sea. Families in Zhanhua County collect hemp and fresh grass leaves to build a shed, called a "hemp house", and place ancestor tablets in it for worship. In Lingxian County, Dezhou, the Ghost Festival is called the Ghost Festival, and every family eats simple meals.

Reference for the above content: Baidu Encyclopedia-Hungry Ghost Festival