Ghost Month has begun here in Taiwan. The Taiwanese believe that the gates of hell will be opened for the next month. The demons, spirits, ghost, and whatever else might hunt you will be released. What this means is there is a lot of things you have to do to fend off the demons.
Starting with of course, burning lots of paper money to them. It is very interesting walking around. I have seen a group of people at work in business suits standing in front of their company burning paper money. All over in front of different shops and homes you will see a table sitting by the street with 2 Liter Coke bottles, crackers, and other foods all with incense sticks stuck to them, sacrificing the food to the spirits. Later they will eat it themselves because of course the gods/spirits can't eat the food. Some other things you shouldn't do is whistle (because a ghost might follow you home), travel long distances or move to another house (the ghost might get into your home or cause you bad travels), don't swim or do other dangerous things that the ghost could use to harm you, don't get married, or do a lot of other things.
This is an interesting time in Taiwan. Many people get sick from the all the smoke from the constant burning of things.
http://www.lyberty.com/encyc/articles/ghostmonth.html
Walking through the town of Chia Yi (嘉義), the crowds began to gather and bang drums, carrying their idols on their shoulders with faces painted like monsters.
As if a bomb was dropped in the middle of town, the city fills with smoke and loud bangs. They lay out the firecrackers on the pavement to walk through them while going off, carrying their gods.
After all the excitement the streets and cars are covered in the ashes from the fireworks.
