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BrainTeasers: Hungry Ghost Festival, Time For Fruits Rescue

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Perfectly edible fruits and food are abandoned after offering to the hungry ghosts. Left to rodents and cockroaches to have a party and feast for the night. What a waste! 

—— Dickson Idlier 

In Chinese culture, the Hungry Ghost Month falls on the seventh month of the Chinese (Lunar) calendar. It is believed that during this month, the gates of hell are opened and wondering ghosts are free to roam the earth looking for food and entertainment. These are hungry and aggrieved ghosts with no families caring for or make offerings to them. Chinese households would try to appease these unhappy ghosts by offering food, money and other supplies. Their primary intention is to prevent these souls from causing problems to them, at the same time, show compassion to these lost souls.

For Freegans In Singapore (FIS), it is the time for us to 'harvest' fruits in this period, mainly the first, fifteen and last day of the seven month. Chinese Taoists and Buddhists in Singapore would make food and joss paper offerings along the pathways. FIS members would walk around their neighbourhood and pick up any fruits after the offerings. Before taking the fruits, below is the procedure to ensure we pay respect to the wandering souls (advised by a Taoist master):

  • Ensure candles, joss sticks and joss papers have stopped burning. 
  • Utter a word of thanks and bow as a sign of respect.
  • Pick up the fruits. 

Daniel Tay, Co-founder of Freegans In Singapore, said in Straits Times Newspaper, "It was common for people living in rural areas to consume the food after offering it to spirits or to leave it out for wild animals or poor passers-by to eat. In the city, it's different. Leaving food out attracts pests like rodents and cockroaches. In the morning, it is likely the town council cleaners who clear it up and throw it away." 

By collecting the fruits and eating them or giving them away, FIS advocates not allowing perfectly edible food to be sent to the incinerator or dumped as trash. 

For the record, on 9th August 2021, I just collected 99 oranges, 15 apples and 2 pineapples around my neighbourhood. And I didn't even pick up all I have seen. Not bad for one night 'harvest', right?

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