3. Ghost Festival 中元節

All：Ghosts are coming to town. Ghosts are coming to town. Guess what the date is today.

R1：Is it Halloween?

All：No, no, ghosts are coming to town. Ghosts are coming to town. There is food and lanterns. Guess today’s date is?

R2：Is it Ghost Festival?

R1：That’s right.

R3：Can you tell us more about the Ghost Festival?

All：When you want to know a story, you need to use these five wh-questions.

R4：Why do Chinese have the Ghost Festival?

R5：What can we do or see on Ghost Festival?

R6：Who can participate in the festival?

R1：When does the main event take place?

R2：Where can we see the celebration?

R3：The Chinese believe that there is an underworld.

R4：The giant gates of the underworld open once a year.

R5：So the ghosts from the underworld can come back up to enjoy the food that people in the living world have prepared for them.

R1：So what can we see on Ghost Festival?

R2：A lot. Such as a feast,

R3：meat, fish, drink, fruit, you name it.

All：Feast, feast, feast for the ghosts!

R4：People will also prepare a long line of water lanterns

R5：to guide the ghosts to the feast.

All：Water lanterns, water lanterns to guide the ghosts.

R6：Finally, there is a parade.

R1：People will dress up like ghosts or the gods for the parade.

R2：Wherever the parade passes, firecrackers go off.

All：Parade, parade, parade for the ghosts.

R3：It sounds like fun. Who can be in the parade?

R4：Anyone.

R5：Where can we see the parade?

R6：Everywhere. Especially near temples.

R1：How long will the ghosts stay in the living world?

R2：The gates of the underworld will open for only 30 days during the 7^th lunar month.

R3：So these ghosts will have to go back before the gates close.

R4：And come back during the next 7^th lunar month?

R5：Right. That’s the reason why our parents want us to be extra careful during the 7^th lunar month.

All：Because the ghosts are coming to town.