Vocab List

• 中元节 zhōng yuán jié - Ghost Festival (literal translation: The Middle Festival)

• 鬼节 guǐ jié - Ghost Festival

• 七月半 qī yuè bàn - yet another name for Ghost Festival, meaning the middle of July

• 万圣节 wànshèngjié - Halloween

• 孤魂野鬼 gū hún yě guǐ - wandering spirit / lonely ghost

• 鬼魂 guǐhún - ghost, spirit

• 怀念 huáiniàn - to cherish the memory of, to reminisce about

• 纪念 jìniàn - to commemorate

• 农历 nónglì - lunar calendar

• 儒 rú - Confucianism, Confucian

• 释 shì - Buddhism, Buddhist

• 道 dào - Taoism, Taoist

• 冥币 míng bì - spirit money

• 纸钱 zhǐqián - paper money

• 祭拜 jì bài - to worship

• 烧 shāo - to burn

• 河灯 hé dēng - river lantern

• 放河灯 fàng hé dēng - to float river lanterns

The Ghost Festival, or 中元节 (zhōngyuán jié), also known as 鬼节 (guǐ jié), is a time when people believe spirits roam the earth. Another name for it is 七月半 (qīyuè bàn) because it falls on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, but in some areas, people start celebrating a bit earlier on the 13th or 14th. This year, the Ghost Festival is on August 18th.

中元节，民间俗称鬼节。由于这个节日在每年农历的七月十五，所以又称七月半。但也有部分地区会提前在七月十三，七月十四过。今年的8月18日是中元节。

It might remind you a bit of Halloween because of the focus on spirits, but it’s much more about honoring and remembering our ancestors. Instead of spooky costumes and candy, this festival is all about paying respects and making sure the spirits of our loved ones are at peace.

中元节和西方的万圣节一样，都与鬼魂有关。不过与万圣节欢乐活泼的氛围不同的是，中元节主要是祭祀，怀念自己逝去的亲人。

What’s It About?

^节日由来

The Ghost Festival is a special day in China for honoring and remembering ancestors. It’s a time for people to show their respect and gratitude to their parents and loved ones who have passed away. As one of China’s major traditional festivals, it combines traditions from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. The name 中元节 (zhōngyuán jié) comes from Taoism, but the customs actually go way back to ancient Confucian harvest rituals.

它是中国人对逝去的父母以及亲人表达孝敬、思念的重要节日。作为中国传统四大祭祀节日之一，中元节同时具备儒、释、道三家的历史渊源 。此名源于道教，其节俗始于古代儒家秋尝祭祀的古老习俗。

How People Celebrate Today

节日习俗

If you happen to be in China during this time, you might come across some unique traditions you’ve never seen before. People believe that ancestors return home to visit their descendants during the Ghost Festival, so they prepare offerings like fruits and cakes, and burn "spirit money" (paper money) to honor and pay respects to their ancestors.

如果这个时候你正好在中国，可能会遇到一些从没见过的纪念活动。民间相信，祖先会在中元节返回家中探望祖孙，所以会准备好瓜果，糕点等供品，同时烧“冥币”（纸钱）祭拜祖先。

As society becomes more modern and urbanized, especially among the younger generation, the traditions of the Ghost Festival are gradually fading. In the cities, you might still see people burning paper money during the festival, but it’s not as common as it used to be.

随着社会的现代化和城市化，特别是在年轻一代中，中元节的传统逐渐被淡化。在城市里，中元节期间仍然可以看到有人烧纸钱，但这种现象相比过去已经减少了很多。

In some river or coastal areas, people release floating lanterns during the Ghost Festival night. These river lanterns, often shaped like lotus flowers with candles inside, are set adrift on the water. The idea is to help guide lost or wandering spirits back home.

在一些沿河或沿海地区，人们会在中元节晚上放河灯（又称放水灯）。这些河灯通常为荷花形状，里面放有蜡烛，点燃后放在河水中顺流而下。放河灯的目的是为那些无依无靠的孤魂野鬼指引回家的路。

RIP - Video Transcript

sandychengchinese

View more on Instagram

And here you can check out the video transcript (with full pinyin) for one of this week’s video, RIP: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1g6MQCIU0j-kEtC-tc6MofIcw7rQF9jmYhixq6rFf_8I/edit?usp=sharing

Do you want more help with learning Chinese? Check out my private online classes:

💡thechinesespeaker.com