When you think of candy, candy corn, and costumes, you know that time of year is coming. Halloween is quickly coming up on October 31st, but did you know that China has its own version of it? In China, there are several days and even a full month of holidays that are really similar to Halloween.
First, there is the Hungry Ghost Festival（鬼节 or 中元节）which is on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month. On this day, Chinese people deal with ghosts and worship ancestors. Furthermore, there is an ancient belief that ghosts are let out of hell. The seventh month is called the “Ghost Month” (鬼月 Gui Yue), and it is thought that during the entire month, ghosts are wild and out around the country, looking for entertainment. As a result, most Chinese people usually try to avoid doing dangerous things.
Second, there is the Qing Ming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day) which is usually on the 4th or 5th of April. On this day, individuals and their families go out on that day to their ancestors’ tombs. There, they clean it and fix it up by cutting the grass and decorating. People worship their ancestors and present food that their ancestors like.
Third, The Double Nine Festival is another day meant to respect and worship the dead. As the name says, it is celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth month on the lunar calendar. It is usually a family outing where families go on walks in the mountains and hills and drink tea.
Next week when you celebrate Halloween, think about these holidays celebrated in China!
The website I used: https://www.chinahighlights.com/festivals/halloween.htm
Interesting Article! I never knew China had it’s own Halloween(s). I was in China the time that the Qing Ming Festival was happening and I had to go up a mountain to get to the grave. We then “prayed” and lit off fire crackers all around it. The next day I did the same for my dad’s side of the family. This article taught me about the other two festivals and that they are all China’s version of Halloween
Super cool article! who would have ever guessed there were so many different festivals in china similar to the holiday we celebrate, Halloween. I find it very interesting how people in china try to praise their ancestors and the dead through festivals of respect and prayers.
This was such a fun article. I never knew China had its own version of Halloween. I knew about Qing Ming Jie and Chong Yang Jie but never associated them with Halloween. To be honest, it sounds kind of creepy to have a whole month dedicated to ghosts. But it’s also nice to see the extent to which Chinese people pay respect to their ancestors.
This was such a great read! I never knew that there was something like Halloween in China. the Qing Ming festival is something that I have heard of, but I never knew there was a Hungry Ghost festival. On this day the deal and worship the ghosts. I never really believed in ghosts. With Halloween coming up soon I’ll be sure to recognize these festivals.
This article was very interesting and informative. I previously thought that only the United States celebrated Halloween, but I was wrong. I think it is cool that other countries have similar holidays just by chance. After reading this article I want to learn more about the festivals mentioned. I also liked the images because it gave an idea of what the festivals were like.
This article is very fascinating! I had no idea that China had their own version on Halloween. I went to China during Halloween once and no one was celebrating the holiday. Instead of Halloween, they have Hungry Ghost Festival where they worship and deal with the ghosts.
This article was fascinating! I had no idea that China had their own version of Halloween. I went to China during Halloween and no one was celebrating the holiday. Instead of Halloween, they have Hungry Ghost Festival where they worship and deal with ghosts.
Great article. I almost forgot about China’s own Halloween festival. the most popular one i think is清明节，cause my grandparents always go to the tomb of their parents and burn those paper money to heaven. But i never seen kids go out trick or treating in China. Unlike here in the United States, you can get all those free candies during Halloween.
Great article! I had no idea that China celebrated Halloween. It’s really cool that there are that many festivals. Such festivals like the Hungry Ghost Festival, the Qing Ming and The Double Nine Festival. I have never heard of these festivals before. They all seem cool and very interesting!!
Wow, I had no idea that so many Chinese holidays were similar to Halloween! It’s interesting that Chinese people try to not do dangerous things during the Hungry Ghost Festival, just like how we try to avoid doing any superstitious actions like walking under a ladder. Qing Ming Festival is such a popular holiday. Thinking about it now, I hadn’t realized how it could be similar to Halloween because of the presence of tombs. It even slightly reminds me of the movie Coco.
Interesting article! I didn’t know that China has different versions of Halloween. I have never heard of the Hungry Ghost Festival before. It’s fascinating how it is believed that ghosts are let out of hell that month. It’s interesting how many different festivals China has that are dedicated to worshiping ancestors and the dead.
Given that I’ve never heard of many of these customs before, this is really fascinating! I never imagined that China had incorporated the ghost and spirit element of Halloween so literally, but I find it cool that they take the holiday so seriously. It’s nice that they also use the occasion to respect the dead family members. I still wonder how China managed to fit so many different festivities into one holiday.
Good article! I honestly didn’t know about any of these festivals. It’s so interesting and unique the way Chinese people celebrate Halloween. Reading your article helped me learn a lot. Thank you for writing this article!
Cool article. I didn’t know china had their own version of Halloween. It is actually very different from ours. These holidays seem very interesting.
Nice story. It is cool to see how another culture celebrates a similar holiday. I had always wondered if any other cultures had a version of one of our holidays.
Great article, Gloria! Out of the three festivals you mentioned, I have only heard of Qing Mind Jie – I never knew about The Hungry Ghost Festival and The Double Nine Festival! I learned that the Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated in the 7th lunar month, when it is believed that all the ghosts are let out of hell! I also learned that the Double Nine Festival is a day when family members worship their ancestors. Thanks for sharing!
Interesting article! All of these Chinese versions of Halloween relate to worshiping of the dead. Still, these festivals are also celebrated during the night. I’ve heard of the Qingming Festival before, in which people decorate the graves of dead family members. The tradition was also present in the Egyptians. In my opinion, I think western Halloween is better
Great article! The three festivals that you mentioned above are all closely related to Halloween and I find that really interesting because I didn’t think that people in China would also celebrate Halloween.
Fascinating article! I never knew China had its own versions of Halloween. My family has never mentioned any of these holidays before! I would love to read more about the Ghost Month. Ghosts are so cool to read about! Thank you for sharing.
Very Cool. I thought China didn’t celebrate Halloween. I never knew that China had its own Halloween. I think I might do some additional research on this topic. It is very interesting to see what different cultures celebrate other than the US
Very Cool. I thought China didn’t celebrate Halloween. I never knew that China had its own Halloween. I think I might do some additional research on this topic. It is very interesting to see what different cultures celebrate other than the US
Interesting article. It’s so cool how different cultures convey a similar holiday. I think it’s a good idea to deal with ghosts, as well as dressing up and getting candy. America should probably add that to their halloween. It’s also interesting how China has multiple holidays centered around the dead. As a halloween enthusiast, I would love to learn more about them.
This is a very cool article. It is very interesting to see how a holiday might be celebrated in another countries. In ways it is similar and different. They also dress up and get candy. It is also cool that they have other days dedicated to the dead.