As I mentioned last week, Jason and I attended a Hungry Ghost Party, part of a month-long celebration during the seventh lunar month of the Chinese calendar. Often referred to as the Chinese Halloween, it is believed that ancestral spirits and ghosts roam the world during this "Ghost Month". As part of the festival's customs, followers pay homage to their deceased ancestors through various prayers, food offerings, and burning rituals. During this month, the Chinese do not swim, engaged couples are encouraged not to marry, and children and young adults are advised not to wander alone at night. The Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated across many countries in Asia, including Singapore. Ghost Month began on August 10 and lasted through September 7.
The celebration we attended was very pleasant. Burning joss sticks and two fruit-offering shrines were the only visible customs of the Ghost festival. The party was hosted at an industrial yard and guests were seated at skirted tables, perched under commercial tents. We were served a delicious, 10-course meal--it was very obvious that Jason and I need to brush up on our chopstick skills, lol!
Tiger Beer (Chinese) and French (
not Chinese) wine were served as well. Two Chinese singers/dancers entertained guests. It was so nice to attend an outdoor affair and not have to contend with mosquitoes. We had a very delightful evening!
Here are a few pictures from the Hungry Ghost Party:
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| Joss sticks burnt as offerings |
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| Fruit offerings |
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| Fruit offerings |
A cochon de lait in Singapore??
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| Roasting suckling pigs |
My dad always did say, "It is all about the presentation..."
And the delicious food--all 10 courses or so! Each entree was placed at the center of the table and shared amongst all.
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| This plate had chicken, fish, prawns, and scallops |
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| Shark fin soup (our favorite dish of the evening) |
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| Arrowroot chips and pork |
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| Fried fish balls |
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| Pork belly and Chinese bread |
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| Grouper |
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| Duck with soybeans |
(I forgot to take pictures of our dessert platter.)
What's a party without entertainment?
What a great experience for us!
