Yulan Festival: Thailand's Hungry Ghost Festival

The Hungry Ghost Festival, or the Yulan Festival, is a traditional Buddhist and Taoist Festival held in several Asian Countries ,including Singapore. The festival signifies the opening of the gates of Hell, permitting all ghosts to receive food and drinks. Worshiping ancestors, offering ritualistic food to monks as well as the deceased, burning "joss" paper and chanting of scriptures are some of the practices that one will observe on the 15th day of the 7th month of the Lunar Calendar.

What people may not know, however, is that a similar practice is also being done in Thailand

In Thailand, the New Moon of the 10th Thai Lunar month, marks the beginning of the nine-day Vegetarian Festival, known as Sat Thai. Sat Thai signifies the period before Harvest time when the rice grain panicles droop as seed reaches full size and fills with milky starch. The Buddhist monks observe a strict vegetarian diet and prepare offerings are made to souls and spirits by conducting traditional rites and ceremonies. The Sat Thai festival is similar to the Hungry Ghost festival and is quite astonishing and spooky for those who aren't aware of it.