The Hungry Ghosts Festival.

The Hungry Ghosts Festival is no longer just a folk custom, it has become a major force behind the charity industry in Singapore.

The “Festival”, observed by the Chinese here in the seventh lunar month, is characterized by praying, burning “paper money” to hungry ghosts. “getais” (Stage performances), and rowdy dinners with auctions for “auspicious items”.

Industry insiders said there are over 3,000 “festival” groups, or associations are Singapore that holds dinners for members. Over 70 per cent of them help charitable organizations raise funds at the dinners, they said.

Over $5 million, in total, can be raised, according to their estimates.

It seems that the public has embraced the new charity aspect of the festival – people donate more generously at festival dinners and bid enthusiastically for charity items.

However, after the NKF fiasco, industry insiders said that organizers are now more careful about which organizations they help, and donations have fallen by 30 per cent.