Hungry Ghost Offerings are a traditional practice observed during the Hungry Ghost Festival, a significant event in Chinese culture, particularly in M’sia and S’pore.
S’porean Man Criticizes Hungry Ghost Offerings
Believing that the gates of the afterlife open, allowing spirits and ghosts to roam the human world, people traditionally offer food to appease these “hungry” spirits.
This practice, deeply rooted in cultural beliefs, is seen as a way to ensure the goodwill of wandering spirits and prevent any harm they might cause.
Yet, this age-old tradition has drawn criticism from a netizen on Facebook, who described it as nothing more than a “waste of food”.
“A waste of food”
On Monday (2 Sept), that netizen took a photo of what seemed to be food offerings left by a grass patch.
Apparently he was not happy with the sight, questioned whether it should be considered a waste of food.
He compared Singaporeans to Palestinians, arguing that while the latter struggle to find food, people in Singapore treat theirs “like garbage.”
He also criticised devotees for not consuming the food after offerings, questioning if they were being overly superstitious.
In contrast, he mentioned that his family always keeps the food after performing the ritual.
The post, which garnered nearly 300 comments in a day, sparked debate.
Many urged him to respect cultural and religious practices, noting that the issue is unrelated to the situation in Palestine.
Netizens were concerned with his remarks
“You trying to start racial riot or what? You talking about Palestinian crisis, globally also have hunger crisis what.” said one.
“You want means you eat. Don’t be a busybody on things that don’t concern you. You want to help them, you should go donate your entire life savings better.” this comment received 50 likes.
“This everyone individual believe…please respect each other culture and religion got nothing to do with Palestine”
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