‘Does it make the ghosts angry or what?’— Resident complains about leftover offerings after Hungry Ghost Festival
does-it-make-the-ghosts-angry-or-what-resident-complains-about-leftover-offerings-after-hungry-ghost-festival
#ghosts #angry #Resident #complains #leftover #offerings #Hungry #Ghost #Festival,
SINGAPORE: On Sunday (Sep 21), many locals had prepared their final food offerings for the conclusion of the Hungry Ghost Festival. But one frustrated resident took to social media to complain about those who did not bother to clean up after themselves once the rituals were over.
Posting the story on the r/askSingapore forum, the resident said that in his neighbourhood alone, plates of food and sweet drinks were left strewn around even though the prayers were already completed and the candles and incense had long burnt out.
“Town council workers can’t clean the pavements daily, I’m sure they have a schedule,” he said. “Why don’t people clear their 7th month food offering? What’s stopping the people from clearing the food offerings and candles/incense they left out? Does it make the ghosts angry or what?”
“You can practice whatever you want to practice, but NOT at the expense of other people.”
In the discussion thread, one Singaporean Reddit user pointed out that older generations who grew up with the tradition never really followed local laws, so ignoring them just became a habit. Now, most columbaria and Chinese temples have rules requiring offerings to be cleared, but in public, people still couldn’t care less.
According to the user, many of these irresponsible residents really just wait until the authorities slap heavier fines on them before they bother changing.
Adding to this, another user noted that some people use “religion” as a free pass to ignore basic civic responsibilities.
“Somehow, the religion card can be used as a free pass for less than civic behaviour, in the name of religious tolerance – this applies to everyone here (without naming names),” they said.
“For instance, the main point of the festival is to honour our ancestors and to remember the forgotten souls. But how much is considered overboard in terms of the quantity of offerings and the process of doing it? Also, in a time before public municipal level cleaning, who cleans up the offerings after the prayers are done? If clearing the offerings and ash is taboo, are the cleaners sinning? People need to reflect on these matters more.”
A third user also chimed in, sharing phrases they’ve often heard their neighbours say: “Aiyah, I pay the conservancy charges for what? Just let the cleaner do loh,” or “I clean, then what does the cleaner do?”
A few users, however, argued that there’s a reason why all the clutter and food aren’t immediately cleared after the festival.
According to one user, based on folk belief, the offerings shouldn’t be removed right away because the ghosts may not have finished enjoying their meals, adding, “Even after the ghosts are done, the food is good for wild animals. They consider it a good deed to feed the starving animals too.”
Moreover, another user pointed out that some people believe certain relatives might be reincarnated as birds or insects, so by allowing the animals to eat the offerings, they are “doing a good deed.”
In response to these explanations, one user said, “Of course not wasting food and feeding the hungry is a good deed. but rats and pigeons that carry diseases and their droppings that dirty the public places? You can practice whatever you want to practice, but NOT at the expense of other people. That is the basic standard ALL should follow.”
In other news, a 21-year-old polytechnic graduate shared on social media that his parents are now charging him rent, demanding about S$1,000 a month for the same room he has lived in since childhood.
In a post on the r/askSingapore subreddit, he said his parents began telling him to “pay up” as soon as they found out he had not applied to any universities this year.