‘Does it make the ghosts angry?’: S’pore resident asks why people don’t clear their seventh-month offerings

Redditor wonders why seventh-month offerings are left uncleared after rituals

A Redditor on r/askSingapore recently sparked discussion with a question many HDB residents may have noticed but seldom voiced: why are seventh-month offerings often left on pavements even after the rituals are over?

In a post on Sunday (21 Sept), the original poster (OP) described this familiar scene in their neighbourhood.

Even after the prayers have ended and the candles and incense have burned out, the food remains untouched, with no one coming by to clean up.

While acknowledging that town council cleaners work on fixed schedules and cannot clear pavements daily, the OP questioned why individuals themselves aren’t cleaning up after the Hungry Ghost Festival rituals.

“What’s stopping the people from clearing the food offerings and candles/incense they left out? Does it make the ghosts angry or what?” they asked.

Netizens share their takes on possible reasons

One netizen suggested that the older generation may not clean up after themselves because it wasn’t expected of them in the past.

Another commenter pointed out that, from a young age, people are taught not to touch the offerings, with warnings that doing so could anger the spirits.

A Redditor shared that the most common reason they’ve heard from others is that people prefer to let the cleaners take care of the offerings instead.

On the other hand, another netizen who regularly clears their offerings believed doing so was a common practice among Singaporeans.

NEA reminds public to keep areas clean

The National Environment Agency (NEA) recently reminded the public on Facebook to respect their neighbours and keep areas clean during the seventh-month period.

Authorities urged people to burn joss paper only at designated spots, clear offerings and incense after rituals, and avoid littering.

The NEA also emphasised that sincerity is more important than quantity, encouraging the public to burn joss paper in moderation to reduce smoke and ash.

Also read: Residents slammed for burning 7th-month offerings on new pavement in Woodlands

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Featured image adapted from Wikimedia Commons, for illustration purposes only.