(For the Bai people Ghost festival has another name--July fourteen. It's a very grand festival. The main content is ancestor worship.
Our traditional custom is to take over the ancestors. It's said that once people die who soul must enter underworld and enter the city of Fengdu. Starting from the begining of July, all souls haven't been reincarnated who have a vacation and 15 days, go home to visit their children and grandchildren. Legend has it that if no one at home, the late fathers will be homeless and feel bitterness. They will wander around home door. There are also ghosts waiting for the good faith.
On this day, all the families prepare in advance to clean the house. For the meal we will put food, tea and wine on the tray and brought out to the front door for three knocks and three worships to welcome our ancestors. After the ancestors back home the soul will be placed in the hall to enjoy the incense offering.
We will burn bags, paper money, paper clothes for them. We will write some propitious words on bag and bring blessing. Each package need to pre-written to the name of the ancestors. The writer is conscientious and meticulous. Before burning the paper, the whole family would kowtow to the ancestor tablets three times and then burn the prepared paper. We often use an iron pot to burn paper. The rest burned outside the gate.
The activity express our deep respect of future ancestors.
