The seventh month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar is when the gods set the ghosts free from their transitional world to return to this one for a month's vacation from the toils and discomforts of being neither here nor there. These disembodied vacationers, who as humans died unnatural deaths, are forbidden to be naughty and each evening they have to report to the gods on their activities and behaviour. This does not, however, prevent really determined bad ghosts from living up to their stereotype and injuries and worse do happen to unsuspecting and sometimes careless humans. The gods then take these naughty ghosts in hand and their privileges are revoked. They are sent back to their rooms without supper.

Most ghosts are well-behaved though and spend their holiday visiting their friends and family. They receive an ambiguous, if not a warm welcome. Nobody really wants to see them, but they are offered gifts of food and money nonetheless, the two essential items on any holiday-maker's list. At the end of the Ghost Month all the ghosts have to return to one of eighteen levels in their ghost world, which is determined by their behaviour as humans, where they will continue their assigned tasks for another year, or until the gods decide that they are ready to be released.

Upon release, the gods decide upon two options for the newly liberated spirits: they are either 1) elevated to join the gods, in effect becoming gods themselves, which is where their story will end, or 2) they are returned for further fine-tuning to the earth. If the second option is decided upon then it has to be determined in what form they will return. Ghosts who were bad in their previous earthly life may breathe their first reincarnated breath with a pig-like snort or with their tails wagging. Previously mediocre performances in their human form might result in Ghosts returning as women, while outstanding citizens will be returned as Chinese men, the closest approximation to godhood we have on this globe.

It's a pity we can't recall our previous lives. Our respect for differences in gender and species would be so much more enhanced, not to mention sensuous.

13 August 2002

Dion Marc Delport

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