中元節(jié)祭祀亡靈
Offering Sacrifices to Ghosts in Zhong Yuan Festival
七月十五日中元節(jié)。先數(shù)日，市井賣冥器靴鞋、幞頭帽子、金犀假帶、五彩衣服。又以竹竿斫成三腳，高三五尺，上織燈窩之狀，謂之盂蘭盆，搭掛衣服冥錢在上焚之。構(gòu)肆樂人，自過七夕，便般《目連救母》雜居，直至十五日止，觀者增倍。十五日供養(yǎng)祖先素食。城外有新墳者，即往拜掃。
The fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month is theZhong Yuan Festival. Several days ahead of this date, people start to marketboots and shoes, hats and belts, and colourful clothes, all made of paper.These items will be burnt as offerings to ghosts. They also make bamboo tripodsthree to five feet tall, the top part of which is in the shape of a lamp bowl.This is called the “yulan pot”. The paper garments and paper money are burnt init. Operatic troupes put on the play MuLian Rescuing His Mother** from the 7th till the 15th.The audience in that period is double the usual size. On the fifteenth day ofthe month, people offer vegetarian food to their ancestors. Any family that hasa new tomb outside the town must pay homage to it on that day.
