While the treats may look enticing, people know better than to try and claim some of these food for themselves – after all, they’re left as offerings to the dead in the current 7th month Hungry Ghost Festival. Besides food and entertainment, offerings in the form of (hell) money, paper cars, and even elaborate paper houses are left for the dead. They make the transition from the material world to the spirit world through fire, i.e. burning to a crisp.

Paper houses and offerings being sent off at the Hungry Ghost Festival. NAS photo.

If you wish to make an offering this month to a specific ancestor, how does one go about that? Photosophize has the answer – click here to find out and also view her nice collection of photos of the offerings and activities during this festival.