Discover the traditional customs on July 7 full moon in the East

On the full moon day of July - day of death, in some Asian countries, there are extremely unique and strange customs.

Full moon in July is a big holiday in some Asian countries such as Vietnam, China . This holiday also coincides with Vu Lan ceremony - parenting ceremony.The full moon in July is also called the "mourning of death".

On this day, survivors not only remember, show filial piety to their parents, deceased ancestors, but also an opportunity for them to help hungry and hungry souls and family members worship.Therefore, many families will make two offerings: one for offering to the ancestors, the other for the soul.

Since the beginning of July, many families in some Asian countries have bought a lot of sacrifices made of votive gold, incense, and fruits to send to the underworld to the deceased.In Vietnam, on July 7, many people come to the temple to perform the ritual.They often do it during the day because it is believed that when the sun has set, it means that the door of the underworld is closed and the soul cannot return to the underworld.

For families with conditions, they often make two offerings: an ancestor worship tray at the altar in the house and the other tray is used to worship living beings in the courtyard in front of the house or on the sidewalk.

In ancestral offerings, families prepare salty offerings, gold coins and personal items such as floors, cars, telephones . for the negative realms made of paper (which people often call code goods). ).

It is believed that the negative people also need to use the same items as when they were alive so descendants and relatives in the family often prepared very decent votive items.They do so to pray for the deceased to have a full, materialistic life.For sentient offerings, people prepare clothes made from pieces of paper of different colors, kinds of rice, sweet potato, candy, white porridge or flower porridge, gold coins, water or alcohol, pence…

In addition, on the full moon day of July, the temples often have a ceremony to release students such as birds, fish .

During the Vu Lan holiday, people often go to the temple to pray for their mother's soul to escape.Those who still have mothers will install a red rose in front of their chests to show filial piety and gratitude, and vice versa, those who have a mother who has disappeared from the mountain will wear a white rose.

For Japanese people, the full moon of July is an occasion for them to express their wish before their ancestors and pray that their wishes will become reality.They will write those wishes on a piece of paper and hang on the bamboo.

This is also the day when family members go to find food, study in all directions and reunite and visit the ancestral grave.In addition, Japanese people also perform traditional dances.

In China, the lunar July is considered to be the month of hungry Ma and is considered an unlucky period so people often abstain from many things.They believe that souls will be returned to the Earth by Pluto when the Gate of Hell opens from the beginning of the month to the end of the month.

Some people will drop paper boats or flower lanterns on the river in the evening of the Full-moon in July. It is like a lighthouse that gives way to wandering souls in the right direction, finding its way back to hell before That door closes.

The Chinese also organized cultural performances on this occasion.However, the first row of seats was left empty because those places were for souls to see and perform with.

Another special activity that takes place on the July full moon in China is "to reschedule", the Di ethnic boys in Van Nam will slouch down the road to touch the girls' breasts without fear of being considered "love green beard".This special activity takes place on the 14th, 15th, 16th of July of the lunar calendar every year.Participants are unmarried young men and women.

According to ancient legend, the souls of young dead men on unmarried battlefields were not escaped because they had never touched a woman's breast before his death.Therefore, the shaman asked to select 10 girls who were pure and have not been touched by men in the first round to make sacrifices with the soul to the other world.Therefore, in order not to be chosen as sacrifices, young women asked the boys in the tribe to touch their chests.Gradually, this particular custom is spread widely and exists to this day.