Emerging Chinese Public Sphere in Multi-ethnic Malaysia : A Case Study of Hungry Ghost Festival and Philanthropic Activities

Abstract

The Hungry Ghost Festival is the most popular folk ritual festivity practiced in Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. Traditionally, Chinese have considered the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar as the 'ghost month' in which ghosts, spirits, and deceased ancestors are believed to migrate from the lower realm of the dead to visit their living descendants who pay them homage and request their protection. This short paper is based on fieldwork conducted in Johor, Malaysia in the summer of 2012. By referring to brief ethnographic data of the Hungry Ghost Festival as practiced in a Chinese community of an average modem housing estate located in a Johor suburb, I will discuss how this extremely ethnic and intimate ritual event came to acquire significance as a public celebration for its support of community and philanthropic traits.