I would say the first indication is the smell of smoke.

Then you notice the offerings on the ground, as well as the glow of burning candles and incense. People huddle in groups as they toss paper money into small bonfires dotted all over the housing estate... Yup, it's that time of the year again.

It's a festival that has always been part of my life since young. When I was little, I remember accompanying my grandmother downstairs to burn offerings to the ancestors and spirits. As I grew older and no longer participated, I was always reminded of its presence by advice not to stay out too late at night or go swimming (lest you be pulled down and drowned). Then there was the getai stage, located in the open area opposite my block. Loud music would be blaring into the night, and both the living and the dead would congregate to watch the lively performances.

Walking during this period was also done with much caution, as stepping on ashes or offerings would certainly cause offense. I myself practised this yesterday, as I avoided stepping on ashes and joss sticks while chasing after the bus (I know I'm Christian, but better to be safe than sorry).

So I was quite surprised to learn that the Chinese students in my class knew little of it.

It all started when a Chinese friend started telling the others that today was the start of the "gui jie" or ghost festival. She nodded to me and I confirmed it. Upon hearing that, another girl friend said that now she knew why everyone was burning paper money around her home. A male student in turn asked if it would last for a day. Nope, I replied, one whole month. He looked surprised.

This incident made me wonder and so I did a little research. The reason for this was as I expected... the Cultural Revolution. Apart from ideologies that were surpressed, so were traditions and customs that the then regime saw as backward. Thankfully, such traditions were preserved by the overseas Chinese communities in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Singapore and other parts of the world.

Oh well.

On a lighter note, I found this video hilarious. I like Pocong, he's so cute jumping about and moaning. XD