The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1878-07-31
Feeding Ghosts in Chinn.

The carpenter who has been making
our new bookcase says he wants to go
to his home for few days-some work
is awaiting him there; the Chinese
writer says he wishes to go-there is q
message to be sent in the direction of
his village, he can carry it, and,
being at leisure, can spend few DAYS
with his family; our house boy says he,
also, must go-his ''muddar" has been
sick, is now ''more better" and he must
go and see her.
And so thee rpenter andlthe w1iter have
gone, and the boy is going; but it seems
so strange, their all asking to go at the
same time, that suspect that at least
part of them had some untold reason for
it, and, when remind myself that it is
now the last of August, that it is the
time of the full moon, and that last
night our Chinese neighbors were going
about out of doors carrying bowls of
boiled rice, and that in front of the
houses in the street near by were little
fires with those thin, filmy ash-hakes
that remain from burned paper scattered
about them, / feel sure that L have
guessed the reason, and that it is wish
to celebrate at their homes the Festival
of Burning Clothes, and the Friendless
Ghosts Feast.
The Chinese think that persons after
they are dead need the same things as
when they are alive, and that if they
are not supplied with them they can
revenge themselves upon the people in
this world, bringing them ill-health or
bad luck in business. This being the
case, of course people try to keep the
ghosts of their relations in as comforta-
bic and quiet state as they can.
If father should die, his friends,
while he remained unburied, would
every day put dish of rice and, per-
haps, basin of water, by his coffin, so
that his ghost might eat and wash. At
terwards, they would at times carry food
and drink to his grave, or place it be-
fore the wooden tablet, which, to honor
him, would be set up in his house. To
supply him with clothes and money, or
anything else he might need, like
house, boat or a chair, paper imita-
tions of these things would be made and
burned, after which it would be thought
the ghost could make use of them. Fiji
teen days at this season of the year are
considered the most lucky time for MAX
ing these offerings. Large quantities of
clothes and other paper articles are then
sold, and there is a great burning of
them all over the country.
Besides these well-to-do family ghosts.
there is another ella of whom people
are dreadfully afraid. These are the
spirits of very wicked men, and of child
less persons who have left nobody be-
hind them in this world to care for
tbapo Thau oya 70 bo ,1o,,
dering about in q most forlorn condition
and to be able to do great deal of mis-
chief. To put them in good humor.
and to induce them to keep out of the way
of the living, feast is made for them
every summer.
1 For several years past, this feast has
been given IN an open plot of ground
Just outside our yard and under our
sitting-room windows, 80 that 1 have
often seen it, though 1 am obliged to
say | have never spied any ghosts COM
ing to eat of it.
Every year the ceremonies are the
same. Early in the day four tall poles
are planted in the ground about dozen
feet apart, and 30 placed as to mark a
square; about twenty feet from the
ground wooden floor is built between
the poles. A few men who stand upon
this platform direct everything. Usual
ly, one or two of them seem to be
priests; once, l recognized the leader as
an expert iuggler whose tricks / had
witnessed only a short time before. A
part of the feast has been made ready
beforehand and is at once arranged on
the platform. Attwo corners are placed
ornamented cones, six or eight feet
high, which, suppose, it is expected
will appear to the ghosts to be solid
cakes, but which are, in reality, only
bamboo frames, thinly plastered over
with a mixture of -four and sugar; be-
sides these are green oranges, other