Next: about 2 to 31 Aug 2027
Ghost Month
The seventh lunar month, when spirits roam and families put off weddings, moves and other new things.
When is Ghost Month in 2027?
Ghost Month 2027 runs from 2 to 31 August 2027. The date follows the moon or a local calendar, so it can move by a day. Other years: 2026, 13 August to 11 September 2026; 2028, 20 August to 18 September 2028.
About Ghost Month
In the seventh month of the Chinese calendar the gates of the underworld are said to open, and the hungry ghosts walk among the living. Families burn paper offerings and hold Zhongyuan, the Ghost Festival, on the fifteenth day. Weddings are generally avoided, and so are moves and openings of businesses, and wedding halls in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore see a lull. In Vietnam the month is the time of Vu Lan. Younger couples are less strict, but many families still set their dates for the autumn.
Ghost Month dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Ghost Month date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 13 August to 11 September 2026 |
| 2027 | 2 to 31 August 2027 |
| 2028 | 20 August to 18 September 2028 |
This date follows the moon or a local calendar and can move by a day, so check with a local source nearer the time.
What is served
- offerings of rice
- fruit
- sweet cakes
Also part of it, and being written: Ghost Festival (The festival on the fifteenth day.), Preta (The hungry ghosts of the story.), Chinese marriage (The wedding that waits.).
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background: "Ghost Festival" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.