本週大事就是鬼門開啦～ 你知道不只臺灣，世界各國也有與「鬼」相關的節慶嗎？ 今天雙語編就來科普一下亞洲地區的「鬼文化」！ 日本盂蘭盆節 Bon Festival｜7、8月 日本的盂蘭盆節源自佛教文化，是祭拜祖先，盡孝道的節日。 日本人會在黃瓜、茄子上裝上四隻腳，用黃瓜比作馬；茄子象徵牛，讓祖先們可以乘著它們往返於兩界之間 泰國 鬼臉節 Phi Ta Khon｜6、7月 泰國鬼節其實一點都不恐怖，人們會戴上竹製的鬼臉面具，並穿著七彩布條做成的鮮艷鬼袍，在街上唱歌跳舞，祈求豐收和招財，就像一場大型嘉年華會 南韓 百中節 Baekjung｜農曆 7 月 也叫「中元節」、「百種節」、「盂蘭盆節」等多種說法，相較於臺灣或日本，南韓的百中節更著重在農夫慶賀豐收，祭祖反而是在中秋節的時候呢！ 新加坡、馬來西亞 中元節 Hungry Ghost Festival｜農曆7月 在新馬的華人地區，跟臺灣一樣有祭祖普渡的習俗，還會特別舉辦表演活動給鬼魂看呢！表演內容包括詼諧短劇、魔術、唱歌跳舞等，要注意不要坐到第一排哦，那是預留給「好兄弟」的啊～ 越南 盂蘭盆節 Vu-lan｜農曆7月 在越南盂蘭節是僅次於春節的大節日，除了祭袓、普渡之外，還有孝親團圓的意義。有趣的是，供品一定會有檳榔，因為在越南檳榔代表愛與親切感；而且普渡拜拜時民眾會扮演好兄弟，上演搶供品大戰，搶愈多的人福氣就愈多 印尼峇里島 趕鬼節 Ogoh-Ogoh｜3月 這天村民會將事先製作好的 Ogoh-Ogoh 魔鬼像抬出遊行，象徵村莊已經有魔鬼佔領，以驅趕真正的妖魔鬼怪。遊行結束後再將 Ogoh Ogoh 像燒掉，象徵趕走厄運 雙語編碎碎念 只要有人的地方就有神鬼之說 其實只要抱著誠敬的心，尊重各地文化與習俗 並且注意自身安全 農曆七月也是平安月唷！ It’s Ghost Month! Taiwan’s not the only country in the world with ghostly traditions. Let’s look at some other countries and their beliefs! Japan: Bon Festival (July-August) During the festival, people honor their ancestors with a mix of Buddhist and Confucian traditions. Cucumbers are made to resemble horses and eggplants to cows, so ancestors can ride them to and from the afterlife. Thailand: Phi Ta Khon (June-July) Revelers wear big scary masks and colorful clothes to dance in the streets and sing, seeking a good harvest and fortune from the spirits. South Korea: Baekjung (7th Lunar Month) Compared to Taiwan and Japan’s festivals, this one is more concerned about the harvest, making it more like Taiwan’s Mid-Autumn Festival. Singapore & Malaysia: Hungry Ghost Festival (7th Lunar Month) Ethnic Chinese in Singapore and Malaysia celebrate the Pudu Festival, just like we do in Taiwan. They have special performances to mark the occasion, but make sure you don’t sit in the first row of the audience, that’s reserved for the ghosts! Vietnam: Vu-lan (7th Lunar Month) The Ghost Festival (Vu-lan) is very important in Vietnam, similar to the Lunar New Year. Aside from respecting ancestors and appeasing ghosts, it’s also a time for families to get together. Offerings often include betel nut, because it represents love and affection there. During the festival, people will dress up as ghosts and try to grab offerings; the more they grab, the better their luck! Bali, Indonesia: Ogoh-Ogoh (March) In this festival, people will bring out ‘Ogoh-Ogoh’ statues and take them on parade, to show that their villagers are already home to ghosts and to keep real ghosts away. After the parade, the statues are burned to ward away bad luck. No matter where you go, there are always ghost festivals! Remember to respect the local culture and traditions! And stay safe during the Ghost Month!