The reason why the Cantonese worship during the Ghost Festival (also known as Zhongyuan Festival) on the 14th day of the 7th lunar month is mainly due to historical traditions and local customs:

Reason for the date difference

  • In most places, the Ghost Festival is observed on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month.
  • However, in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau, it is traditionally observed on the 14th day.
  • This difference is due to historical influences from Taoism, Buddhism, and local folk beliefs during the Ming and Qing dynasties, especially among the Teochew, Cantonese, and Hakka communities.
  • As a result, the local lunar calendar practices differ slightly from those in northern China, and over time, the “worship on the 14th” custom became established.

The Influence of the Ullambana Festival

  • After Buddhism spread to the Lingnan region, local communities combined the Ullambana Festival (Yulanpen Festival) with the Zhongyuan Festival.
  • The Ullambana Festival (Yulan Shenghui) became very popular in Guangdong, and many temples and village associations hold large-scale rituals and ceremonies to offer relief to lonely spirits on the night of the 14th.
  • This arrangement is mainly to make it easier for communities to hold group ceremonies, while the 15th is reserved for individual families to carry out their own ancestral worship at home.

Convenient for the Local Community

  • In early Guangdong, where farming and commerce were common, people would worship wandering spirits on the night of the 14th, and honor ancestors and deities during the day on the 15th.
  • This separation avoids conflict and reflects a sense of order: “first relieve the lonely spirits, then pay respect to ancestors.”

Tradition Continued to Today

  • That’s why in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau, when people talk about the “Ghost Festival,” they usually mean the 14th day of the 7th lunar month.
  • In northern China, it’s more commonly observed on the 15th.
  • Essentially, both are the Zhongyuan Festival, just with different date customs.

👉 Summary:
The Cantonese observe the Ghost Festival on the 14th day of the 7th lunar month due to historical customs and the collective Ullambana rituals. The 14th is designated for offering relief to wandering spirits, while the 15th is reserved for honoring ancestors and deities.

广东人的鬼节 – 七月十四

广东人在农历七月十四日拜鬼节（中元节、盂兰胜会），主要和历史传承与地方习俗有关：

日期差异的原因

  • 在大多数地方，中元节是农历 七月十五日。
  • 但在广东、香港、澳门等地，传统上习惯在 七月十四日 举行。
  • 这是因为明清时期，潮汕、广府、客家等族群受道教、佛教以及本土民俗影 响，本地阴历节日的计算与北方略有差异，逐渐固定成“十四拜祭”。

盂兰胜会的影响

  • 佛教传入岭南后，当地民间把“盂兰盆会”与“中元节”结合。
  • 盂兰胜会在广东非常盛行，许多庙宇、乡社会在 十四晚 举办大型祭祀、施孤普度。
  • 这种安排主要是方便乡里集体举行法会，十五日就留给家家户户自己拜祭。

方便民间操作

  • 广东早年以农耕和经商为主，人们在十四晚上拜祭孤魂野鬼，十五日白天则拜祖先、神明。
  • 这样分开，既不冲突，也能“先普度众鬼，再孝敬祖先”，体现次序观念。

延续至今的习俗

  • 所以在广东、香港、澳门，人们说的“鬼节”一般就是七月十四。
  • 北方则更常在七月十五。
  • 本质上都是中元节，只是日期习惯不同。

👉 总结：广东人拜鬼节在七月十四日，是因为历史习惯与盂兰胜会的集体普度传统，把十四日定为普渡鬼魂的日子，十五日则留给祖先与神明。