1938-08-10 — Page 17

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH,

WEDNESDAY,

AUGUST

103 1988

AID HONGKONG REFUGEES CHINESE CELEBRATE

by attending the

YEAR'S BEST ENTERTAINMENT !!

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The Rev. D. Rosenthall, Mr. L, Starbuck Mr. J. C. M. Grenham

Variety Programme

}

Featuring

Mr. J. J. Ferguson-Accordeon Mr. It. Edwards-Xylophone Mts. Winnie Cox-Elocutionist

Mr. G. Lelb-Tenor

Mlas Frue Lewis-Violin

Mr. Harry Wood-Clarinet

Miss Anne Winter-Soprano Mr. G. D'Aquino-Tenor

Misa Nura Kanis---Pinno Mrs. G. Lelb--Soprano

Miss Gréta Seull-Piano Sololat Mr. J. Suller-Flute

Mr. Andrew Chan and Hawalian Serenaders

AT

ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH HALL

KOWLOON

on FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1938

Commencing 9.00 p.m.

rr

GHOST FESTIVAL

By T. Paul Gregory

What to Europeans are perhaps the most singular and curious of all the strange religious beliefs of the Chinese masses are those found in connection with the so- called Kwai-tsit or "Ghosts" Festival" of the fifteenth of the seventh moon, which occurs to-day.

This is popularly regarded as the greatest religious drama of the Far East and is of Buddhist origin. It is observed not only in China, but also in Japan and 'Korea, and under its proper designation of Yue-laan-tait is in reality a "feast of wandering spirits"-a sort of Oriental All Souls' Day--and is celebrated with a peculiar sense of pious ecstasy. In the Sanskrit tongue, which incidentally the original language of the Buddhist sutras or sacred books, the festival is known as Ullambana, and has been transliterated into Chinese as Yue-laan Poon, signifying literally "dish fragrant-plant bowl."

The Chinese mesning. of conveys nothing, and gives no indica- tion of the great import of the

Was

Tickets $2.00 and $1.00 at Moutric's and European Y.M.C.A.ival which has been celebrated in which practically all the celebrunts

Expert

COSTS

PLUMBING

LESS IN THE LONG

RUN THAN MEDIOCRE

during the seventh moon since the feighth century AD. by the entire population of China without distinc- tion of birth or rank. It is pre- eminently, however, n woman's re-

course.opportunity of witnessing of Arst- and one of the strangest ceremonies of the Chinese people, and one, too,

were women, assisted occasionally by the small boy or giri of the household. This was the offering of clothes, money and food to the ghosts who were early this morning due to be ligious fete for nowadays the released from Tel-yuk,

11

ΟΡ "the Earthly Prison"the Hades or Purga Orient.. the most devoul be-

tory of the Westerner-and permitted lievers

the doctrines of the Buddha ure thuse of the fair sex.

to wander back to the world of the It is they who are the most versed in

living in order to visit the old familiar

These spectres from the plous significance of these various scenes.

the Ou nether sphere are considered by all occasions, and thu average uld-

Chinese to Fashioned Chinese woman

be in will devout

dire relate with the firmest conviction

want and distress, and in order that that on this day, Yim-loh-wong, the their hunger may be appeased, their ruler of Iludes throws

open the gates nakedness clothed, and, too, that they of the infernal regions and permits

might possess the wherewithal to the shades of the departed to swarm

purchase what they desire in this up through the portals, hungry,

world, the offerings are made to them. | naked, and destitute, but vested with A most terrible power to seek food,

WORKlothing, and money on earth.

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COMMENCES AT SUNSET

of

Properly speaking this "fenst the wandering spirits" commenced at sundown yesterday; for the Chinese, like the Jews, the Moslems and other Oriental people reckon

reckon time as being from sunset to sunset,

About four o'clock in the afternoon, however, a preliminary ceremony was carried out in all those Chinese families who maintain an ancestral shrine. This

The ceremony as viewed last night is carried out in the following matiner: Waxen tapers are laid along the edge of the kerb, and after being lighted together with the customary incense, a basket filled with i-chi or paper replicas of clothing and "money" consisting of stamped paper notes, along with a yuen-pa or quantity of so-called am-ngan, ar Imitations of gold and silver bars, are dumped on the pavement directly behind the daming candles and set on fire. Whilst this pic of offerings is onto, the

the blaze u of bean-sprouts, some few squares bowl of rice, a dish of bean-curd, as well as certain of the remnants from the evening meal,

was the the worship of the spirits of urning briskly, a woman will throw

the departed, and the offering of food, such as roast pork, chicken and duck. out the cus-

There was also cut the ancestors of possibly some cholce bits of fowl,

tom of presenting

the household replicus in paper of articles of

addition, she will pour upon the

were apportione apparel. These ground a small quantity of wine.

in those

art

out in

in sets known

e

"LUCKY MONEY"

ings there has gathered around a crowd of noisy street urchins, some of them endeavouring to setting slight the pile of paper at the assist in prescribed moment by thrusting into Its midst Д blazing spill. The young-

in the vernacular as chaap-ip, con- sisting of complete outfit. in miniature

-hat, jacket, trousers, shoes-and-story to the actual Gring of the offer- It must be mentioned that prepara- many sets, of course, as there were ancestral tablets on the altar of the shrine. These were burned on the square of stone flagging which edges the domestic well in the t'eng or parlour of the old-style Chinese house. Whilst this was the custom-mor ary procedure in practically all the sters can now scarcely conceal their country -districts in Kwangtung and

and impatience; for as soon as the paper in burning briskly and the womenfolk stil! 10ges on the Island which

which have bestowed their unspoiled by Western

gifts of food influences, there

Quent

Was a general ten- upon the burning pile, custom dictates dency in most Chinese homes In

that pennies should be thrown from Colony to curtail and simplify to and then there is a merry scramble the verandah above into the street. considerable extent the although none who made a pretence hither and thither in order to pick up as the crowd of ragged urchins dart of being plous neglected the occasion altogether. In fact, yesterday every this, they depart to the next house the coins. As soon as they have done Chinese family who could afford bad either duck or chicken

and wait for the female inmates to an adjunct

come down into the street in order ไอ their eve- ning ric

rice for certain remnants of to conduct an

identical ceremony. their repast were singularly enough and the excited seampering for the reserved to piny a part in a curlous "lucky money" throwing is repeated. ceremony known as shiu-kaal-yl or "burning the clothes on the street which was carried out along the kerb in front of almost every dwelling be- tween the hours of 7 and 9.30 p.m.

ceremony,

women will also engage in worship of Throughout lo-day many Chinese these "wandering souls of the dead" and in their sincerity and devotion will utter prayers that the dead will be happy and contented in their re- turn to their earthly homes, und Consequently, those foreigners who when their sojourn is ended, depart were broad at this time had onto their underworld prison In peace..

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