Offerings of doughnuts and bombolonis left as offerings for hungry ghosts, netizens say ‘Modern ghosts require modern food’

Singapore — Netizens on Reddit were more amused than anything after finding boxes of doughnuts and bombolonis (for the uninitiated: a jelly doughnut, made completely round and intended to be filled with custard, jam, or cream) left as offerings during the Hungry Ghost Festival.

This year, it runs from 8 Aug to 6 Sept 2021 when ghosts are said to revisit the land of the living. Particularly on 22 Aug, on Ghost Day.

A photo shared on Reddit on Tuesday (Aug 10) drew a few more quirky comments as opposed to bittersweet ones when it featured doughnuts and bombolonis given as offerings. A popular food of offering is rice cakes encased in glutinous skin dyed pink. People will also typically leave plates of oranges and tea as offerings as well.

Surprised by the modern-day offerings, one netizen shared a photo and said: “Nice doughnuts for the hungwy ghosts! I not ghost but these doughnuts and bombolinis (sic) are very nice”.

Others who commented on the post came up with their own puns and jokes.

For Singaporeans and Malaysians, people will make offerings on these three main days: the 1^st, 15^th and last day of the month.

In Singapore, people will burn the offerings in a burning bin and will buy food as offerings.

The whole idea is to ensure that the roaming spirits would have something to eat. On the fifteenth day, the realms of Heaven and Hell and the realm of the living are open and both Taoists and Buddhists would perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased.

Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-mâché form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors.

Elaborate meals (often vegetarian meals) would be served with empty seats for each of the deceased in the family, treating the deceased as if they are still living. /TISG