Woman films herself picking up Hungry Ghost Festival offerings, says fruits expensive in S’pore

A woman has sparked controversy after filming herself collecting fruit left as offerings during Singapore's Hungry Ghost Festival. The video, which has since been removed, showed the woman, who claimed to be from Sichuan, China and a bus driver in Singapore, squatting by the street and picking up apples and oranges. She expressed her appreciation for the gesture, noting that fruit is prohibitively expensive in Singapore.

The video quickly went viral, sparking debate among netizens. Some expressed worry that taking the offerings could offend the spirits during the festival, while others raised concerns about the safety of consuming food left outdoors. Some even suggested that if the offerings had been discarded, it would be more appropriate to redistribute the food to those in need.

A folklore expert told local media that taking roadside offerings during the Hungry Ghost Festival is a grave taboo. Unlike offerings made to specific deities or ancestors, these offerings are believed to be for wandering spirits. It was also deemed inappropriate to intentionally challenge such customs for attention, even by non-believers. The expert advised the woman to return to the original location, accompanied by someone knowledgeable about the customs, make additional offerings and sincerely apologize.