Ghost Festival

proper noun

A traditional Buddhist and Taoist festival in Asia, when ghosts and spirits are said to emerge from the lower realm, and deceased ancestors are venerated.

Meanings

proper nounthe Ghost Festival
  1. A traditional Buddhist and Taoist festival in Asia, when ghosts and spirits are said to emerge from the lower realm, and deceased ancestors are venerated.

    Synonyms: Chungyuan, Hungry Ghost Festival, Zhongyuan

Synonyms & antonyms

proper nounA traditional Buddhist and Taoist festival in Asia, when ghosts and spirits are said to emerge from the lower realm, and deceased ancestors are venerated.

Origin

  1. Chinese鬼節 /鬼节
  2. EnglishGhost Festival

Calque of Chinese 鬼節 /鬼节 (Guǐjié).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Cantonese 中元節 /中元节, 鬼節 /鬼节
  • 中元節 /中元节 (zung¹ jyun⁴ zit³)Taoist festival
  • 鬼節 /鬼节 (gwai² zit³)Taoist festival
Chinese Mandarin 中元節 /中元节, 鬼節 /鬼节
  • 中元節 /中元节 (Zhōngyuánjié)Taoist festival
  • 鬼節 /鬼节 (Guǐjié)Taoist festival
  • 盂蘭盆節 /盂兰盆节 (Yúlánpénjié)Taoist festival
  • 七月半 (Qīyuèbàn)Taoist festival
Dutch geestenfeest
  • geestenfeestTaoist festival
French fête des fantômes
  • fête des fantômesTaoist festival
German Geisterfest
  • GeisterfestTaoist festival
Japanese 中元
  • 中元 (chūgen)Taoist festival
Korean 백중날, 망혼일
  • 백중날 (baekjungnal)Taoist festival
  • 망혼일 (manghonil)Taoist festival
  • 중원 (jung'won)Taoist festival
Malay Perayaan Hantu
  • Perayaan HantuTaoist festival
Portuguese festival dos fantasmas
  • festival dos fantasmasTaoist festival
Russian фестиваль духов
  • фестиваль духов (festivalʹ duxov)Taoist festival
Spanish festival de los fantasmas
  • festival de los fantasmasTaoist festival
Thai วันสารทจีน
  • วันสารทจีนTaoist festival
Vietnamese Tết Trung Nguyên, Vu Lan
  • Tết Trung NguyênTaoist festival
  • Vu LanTaoist festival
Cite this entry
APA

Ghost Festival. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ghost%20Festival

MLA

“Ghost Festival.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ghost%20Festival. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Ghost Festival,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ghost%20Festival.

Source: Ghost Festival on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.