The Hungry Ghost Moon is the name the Chinese gave to the full moon in the seventh month of the lunar year – which happens to occur today, July 12, 2014.
In the Chinese tradition, the time of the Hungry Ghost Moon is similar to how the ancient Irish perceived Samahain, a feast marking the beginning of the Irish Winter (October 31st – Halloween in North America). It was a time when spirits could move freely from this world into the Other world or the Eternal world. The veil separating the worlds was “thin.”
The Chinese believed that some spirits would return to where they were happiest, so it’s a time when you might see or feel the presence of your ancestors — or the people who formerly populated the landscape surrounding you. But it is also a time when mischievous spirits make trouble and people can be more susceptible to bad energy from the spirit world.