Hungry Ghost Festival 2025 Explained & What Not To Do During The 7th Month

All you need to know about the Hungry Ghost Festival 2025 in Singapore, so you can explain this traditional Chinese festival to kids. Plus what not to do during the 7th month of the lunar calendar, aka Ghost Month!

The seventh month of the Lunar calendar is when the Hungry Ghost Festival 2025 takes place — it officially starts on 23 August 2025, with Ghost Day taking place on 6 September 2025. If you’re seeing lots of incense candles and food offerings in your neighbourhood, it’s likely because people are observing Ghost Month. Let’s take a look at what the Hungry Ghost Festival 2025 in Singapore is all about.

The Hungry Ghost Festival is a traditional Chinese festival (also known as Zhong Yuan Jie 中元节 in Mandarin, Chung-Yuan 中元 in formal Chinese or Zhongyuan Festival in Taoism) and marks the opening of the Gates of Hell where the ghosts or spirits were able to return to Earth. Often called the Chinese Ghost Festival, it’s celebrated by Buddhist and Taoist devotees to honour the memories of the deceased.

When is the Hungry Ghost Festival 2025: Start & end date

The first lunar day of the 7th month is on Saturday 23 August 2025. Hungry Ghost Festival aka Chinese Ghost Festival takes place traditionally on the 15th night of the 7th month (Saturday 6 September 2025) which is sometimes called Chinese Ghost Month. The first lunar day of the 8th lunar month is on 20 September 2025. Therefore, the ‘festivities’ of Hungry Ghost Festival are a month-long affair during the 7th month/Ghost month 23 August 2025 to 21 September 2025.

Traditionally, Chinese people believed that the 7th lunar month was plagued with disasters so naturally they feared this month. The general belief is that it is unwise to make major decisions during this time. So ideally many don’t initiate a new business or move into a new house during the 7th month.

Key dates: 2025 Hungry Ghost Festival and Ghost Day

23 August 2025: the first day of the 7th lunar month: The Hungry Ghost Festival officially starts. It is said that on this day, the gates of hell open, allowing deceased spirits to pass back into our world.
6 September 2025 is the 15th lunar day: This is Zhong Yuan Jie, also known as “Ghost Day,” when it’s believed that ghosts are most active. It is common for people to burn joss paper and feed the ravenous spirits on this day.
21 September 2025: The Hungry Ghost Festival ends on the 29th day of the seventh month. The Gate of Hell is closed and the ghosts go back. People offer sacrifices on this day to pray for safety for the rest of the year.
*Do note the lunar calendar may change so always double-check dates.

How is the Hungry Ghost Festival celebrated?

During the Hungry Ghost Festival, the Chinese believe that ghosts and spirits, including deceased ancestors, roam the earth on a kind of ‘vacation’. During this ghost month and particularly on the 15th day, they wander around searching for food and entertainment or visit the living.

As a form of ancestor worship and to appease these spirits, all sorts of offerings are made during the Hungry Ghost Festival, especially on the three main days: the 1^st, 15^th and last day of the 7th month.

Offerings during Ghost Month/ Seventh Month

During Ghost Month (Seventh month) people will burn offerings in special metal cages set up outside housing estates and temples. Items such as paper money, incense candles/joss sticks and elaborate paper effigies of material goods, such as houses, cars, phones and even outfits are burned. This is so the departed can use them in the afterlife. The paper creations are a marvel to see (you can often find them at HDB markets – there are shops offering them at Tiong Bahru market and Chinatown).

Another important part of the offerings during the Hungry Ghost Festival is food. Those celebrating will leave food on the sidewalk or at temples to satisfy the ghosts’ appetites and appease their deceased family members, and in return bring good luck.

What not to do during the 7th month & Hungry Ghost Festival

The 7th month is considered an inauspicious month, so there are lots of ‘don’ts’ in order to avoid encountering ‘bad luck’. A few include:

• Don’t move into a new house
• Don’t start a new business
• Don’t stay out late/go out at night
• Don’t disturb the offerings
• Don’t swim (and avoid any water activities)
• Don’t hang your clothes outside to dry too late
• Don’t pick up anything from the ground
• Don’t turn your head when someone calls you
• Don’t wear clothes with your name on it
• Don’t whistle

During the seventh month, some families may get the kids to wear a small red triangular religious pendant to their shirts to protect them during this month. Within the pendant are religious papers from the temple. Some people keep the paper in their wallets and others wear religious bracelets during this time.

Singapore Hungry Ghost Festival performances & e-Getai

One of the highlights of the Hungry Ghost Festival in Singapore is the colourful performances of Chinese operas and live drama ‘getai’ performances. Getai used to be a stage for traditional opera and puppet performances, with a majority of songs performed in dialects such as Hokkien. In Singapore, performances for the Hungry Ghost Festival have evolved to include modern pop songs in Chinese and even Korean.

Large tents are set up near housing estates with these performances as well as e-Getai – live-streamed performances online. If you do see any physical shows, visitors are welcome but always ensure you leave the front row of seats empty – those are for the honoured ghosts themselves!

Read more: Kid-Friendly Guide To Chinatown