中元节是中国著名的传统节日之一，与正月十五日为上元节和十月十五日下元节并称三元节。而七月十五这一天，相传是鬼门大开的日子，所以又有“鬼节”之称。不同于现在“鬼节”的冷漠，古时候的中元节是要放河灯的。下面是对中元节来龙去脉的一些简单介绍。

中元节又称“七月节"或盂兰盆会"，为三大鬼节之一。中元节是道教的说法，"中元"之名起于北魏，有些地方俗称"鬼节"、"施孤"，又称亡人节、七月半。中元节与除夕、清明节、重阳节（除、清、九）等三节，都是中国传统节日里祭祖的四大节日。《道藏》载："中元之日，地官勾搜选众人，分别善恶……于其日夜讲诵是经，十方大圣，齐咏灵篇。囚徒饿鬼，当时解脱"。民间则多是在此节日怀念亲人，并对未来寄予美好的祝愿。

Much like Westernculture's Halloween, some Eastern cultures celebrate a Fall festival where theybelieve the gates of hell are thrown open, releasing hungry ghosts to wanderthe earth in search of food and taking revenge upon those who wronged them inlife. This month-long festival is known as the Hungry Ghost Festival and takesplace during the 7th lunar month.Unlike othercelebrations of the dead in Eastern cultures that seek to honor dead ancestors,the Hungry Ghost Festival seeks to pacify the hungry ghosts, the ghosts ofstrangers and the un-cared-for dead. These are the ghosts of those who died bytheir own hands, by accidents, by drowning or hanging who have been deniedentry into heaven. Angry because they are forced to dwell in hell without foodor comfort, when released, they search for souls to take their place in misery.To Taoists andBuddhists, these evil spirits are not to be taken lightly. They are most activeat night and can take many forms including: snakes, moths, birds, foxes,wolves, and tigers. They can even appear as beautiful men or women to seducethe living. When they possess an individual by entering the body they causeillness and mental disorders.Throughout thismonth, to keep the angry spirits amused, people stage street operas and otherforms of public entertainment. In the past, people did not view the streetoperas as they were performed only for ghosts. Other rituals are performed tohelp souls enter into heaven. Taoists do their best to avoid late nights awayfrom these amusements and rituals to steer clear of the evil spirits. Toappease these wandering spirits, Buddhists and Taoists burn bundles of josssticks, paper hell money, food, and other offerings by the roadside.Communities along rivers or near the sea float lanterns in the shape of thelotus or carved from fruit or gourds in the water to guide them away from theirhomes. They follow the lanterns from the river bank or sea shore till they canno longer be seen. This is done to redeem the soul of those who died bydrowning.The most importantdays of this month are the 14th and 15th, the days of the great feasts. On the14th, a great feast would be held to honor family ancestors. Prayers andofferings would be made at family altars. On the following night, the 15th,they would feast for the hungry ghosts. Held outside under the full moon, thesefeasts feed the evil spirits so that they will leave the living alone and bribethe ancestors for luck with money and the harvest.