The Hungry Ghost Festival, observed during the seventh month of the lunar calendar, is a time when the gates of the spiritual realm are believed to open, allowing deceased ancestors and wandering spirits to return to the realm of the living.
Devotees engage in various rituals, including offering joss paper and burning incense, with the intention of appeasing these spirits and honoring their ancestors’ memory.
Littering Accusations in Tampines
While the essence of the Hungry Ghost Festival revolves around piety and remembrance, a recent incident in Tampines has brought to light a less-than-ideal aspect of the observance.
Some devotees, in their fervor to fulfill their religious duties, failed to clean up the aftermath of their rituals. This negligence led to accusations of littering and a breach of consideration for the environment and fellow residents.
The Scene of Disarray
On 17 August, Facebook user Harith Harith shared an image of a grass patch in Tampines marred by joss paper and other discarded items.
The designated burner, intended for respectful disposal, was surrounded by a mess of joss papers, plastic wrappers, and scattered rafia strings.
Harith also captioned his photo of the joss papers, saying “Pity the cleaners this morning, even the plastic they didn’t throw”, highlighting the plight of the cleaners who had to deal with the aftermath
Netizens’ comments
- Now supermarket charge for plastic bags. So now people leave the plastic bags as offerings
- What a selfishness behavior
- Singapore knows u burning for 7th month ghost but pls don t behave like u’re possesed by dirtying the place.
- Should clear the remains after session.
- This morning my 6 years old son asked me how come so messy. …
- Is this the kind of religious culture we are willing to accept and tolerate in our society? The scenes of irresponsibility that follow the burning offerings and Getai shows are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Image source: Harith Harith on Facebook