The fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month is the "Ghost Festival", an important traditional festival in China.
Every year, the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month is the Ghost Festival, an important traditional Chinese festival. , however, "Hungry Ghost Festival" is the name of Chinese Taoism; on the 15th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, Buddhism calls it "Ollambana Festival" and the folk call it "Ghost Festival". Of course, the Taoist Ghost Festival, the Buddhist Bon Festival and the folk Ghost Festival have different expressions. However, these three festivals also have the same cultural connotation of worshiping ancestors and advocating loyalty. The original meaning of the festival is congratulations and thanksgiving. It originated in India in the fifth century BC. There is this record in the Buddhist scripture "Liaolan Sutra": The mother of Mulian, the most powerful disciple of the Buddha, did too many evil things during his lifetime. After his death, he fell into the Abi Hell and suffered endless suffering. Although Mulian has the strongest supernatural powers, she always has to watch her mother suffer and is helpless, so she seeks help from the Buddha. The Buddha instructed that on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, Mulian would invite monks from all over the world to have a fast, and the monks from all directions would chant sutras for Mulian’s mother to be saved. They would also be able to deliver the ghosts that harassed Mulian’s mother, so that Mulian’s mother could receive peaceful. Because July 15th is close to the harvest season, and most importantly, it is also a time of year when it is neither hot nor cold, so it is the most suitable time to transcend the wandering souls of evil spirits.
Later generations followed suit and held fasts and feasts for monks from all over the world on July 15th, hoping that their ancestors would find salvation and peace after their death.
This story and custom were spread to China from Bodhidharma. The Chinese surprisingly thought that instead of inviting monks to fast, they might as well offer offerings to the ghosts of their ancestors. Slowly, the Bon Festival on July 15th was changed by the Chinese to the Ghost Festival on July 14th. On this day, every household puts out offerings to offer sacrifices to their ancestors and to nearby innocent ghosts, in the hope that their homes will be harmonious and their ancestors will be at peace.
Most people believe that July 14th is the day when ghosts open their doors, so they rarely go out at night. This is just a one-sided idea. In fact, at midnight on July 14th, that is, before twelve o'clock on July 15th, the door of hell will open from wide to closed. Ancient books record that this time should be the deadline for the ghosts wandering the world to return to the underworld.
The official opening of the gates of hell should be the second day of the seventh lunar month. On this night, the nine Zhiyin acupoints in all cities around the world will be opened, and all ghosts can come and go freely and enjoy the offerings prepared for them in the world until before 12 o'clock in the morning on July 15th. On the eighth day of the first lunar month of the second year, there was another fourteen days' opportunity to wait until the gate of hell reopened and travel through the three thousand worlds of flowers. People who want to offer sacrifices should best place them on the second day of July, otherwise the ancestors will be hungry for several days. Maybe they will be confused when they see the sacrifices to the Seven Fairies on the seventh day of July. I think you are unfilial and only seek marriage and forget your ancestors.
On the eighth day of the first lunar month of the second year, which is the day after Human Day, the gate of ghosts will open again, allowing ghosts to travel to the world again.
Probably the two openings of the underworld are the two holidays of the underworld