First launched in Haw Par Villa in 2022, the Spirits Festival commemorates both the Buddhist Ullambana Festival and the Taoist Hungry Ghost Festival. The Spirits Festival focuses on revealing the philosophies and heritage behind commonly-misunderstood festivals, showing similarities in beliefs and practices across different faiths and schools of thought, and emphasising unity in diversity in an increasingly-divisive world.
This year, it will be the third edition of Haw Par Villa’s Spirits Festival.
We are enhancing our programme lineup to further promote interfaith and cross-cultural unity in Singapore.
Spirits Festival 2024 Programme
24 August 2024, Saturday
09.30AM – 6.00PM
1. Interfaith Unity Prayers at Haw Par Villa
Taoist Priest and Buddhist Monks at the Unity Blessings for Spirits Festival 2023
Attendees' interaction during lunch
A key highlight of the Spirits Festivities is the Interfaith Unity Blessings, which brings together Taoist Priests and Buddhist monks in the conduct of prayers at one place and at one time. These prayers are commonly dedicated to ancestors, deities, or for the salvation of wandering spirits.
Last year, we were joined by three Buddhist monks and three Taoist priests from major schools of Taoism and Buddhism in Singapore. These practitioners took turns conducting prayers which are accompanied with explanations on its significance, to allow attendees to learn and appreciate the meaning behind our local religious rituals and prayers.
The practices and rituals of the 7th Lunar Month embody values which are common to all of humanity – this includes filial piety, generosity and importantly compassion for others. As such, this year, we have expanded the backgrounds of both our religious representatives and participants to include leaders from the other major religions in Singapore. They will conduct prayers for the betterment of the world and for peace.
24 August 2024
9.30AM – 1.00PM
Rise of Asia Museum, Haw Par Villa
*Complimentary lunch and Hell’s Museum admission tickets will be given for registered attendees
2. RoAM Talk Series Hello from the Other Side: Ancestral Worship Across Karmic Religions
Is blood thicker than death?
Join us at RoAM Talk for a Spirit(ed) discussion where Taoist, Buddhist, and Hindu leaders unveil the surprising ties that bind their traditions. From the transference of merit to nourishing souls, we’ll dive deep into what it’s like honoring ancestral ties and the philosophies around it across 3 ancient Karmic Faiths.
This year, the Spirits Festival highlights the centrality of honoring one’s ancestors which coincides not only with the Buddhist and Taoist traditions, but also with a lesser known Hindu festival – Aadi Amavasya. These festivals feature well-practiced rituals and blessings but how much do you know about them?
Don’t hang up on this opportunity! 📞 Unmask the mysteries and have your burning questions answered by our panel of experts.
24 August 2024
2.00PM – 4.00PM
Rise of Asia Museum, Haw Par Villa
Ticket Fee: $5 / pax*
*Complimentary Hell’s Museum Admission Ticket will be given for registered attendees of the talk.
3. Exhibition - Tracing the Karmic Connection: Syncretic Origins of the 7th Lunar Month and the 10 Courts of Hell (NEW!)
A prelude to the Rise of Asia Museum, this exhibition will introduce the common thread of karma and samsara that inextricably tie the faiths of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and traditional Chinese beliefs together. Participants will learn about the rich exchange of ideas across the Indian and Chinese civilisations, and the impact of the spread of Buddhism from South Asia to East Asia.
It will also shed light on the origins of the 7th Lunar Month and the 10 Courts of Hell, with a special focus on Da Shi Ye, a key figure during 7th Lunar Month practices.
We will be partnering with home grown cardboard design agency, Paper Carpenter, to curate the Exhibition using a unique cardboard panel system, as part of Haw Par Villa’s efforts on sustainability. The Exhibition will be open to the public until the end of November and be hosted in Cloud Pavilion (next to Culture Courtyard).
We are excited to debut a Rebirthing Experience as part of this year’s Spirits Festival programme line-up. Most commonly practiced in Thai temples, this tradition involves participants lying inside a coffin to be “reborn” as a means of shedding bad luck and bringing good fortune. This experience invites people to confront traditions and taboos about death and the afterlife. Through this contemplative exercise, we hope participants will find positive change.
An additional sustainability effort is our partnership with Unity Casket for the provision of cardboard coffins for this unique programme.
This special experience will be open to the public at Cloud Pavilion (in Culture Courtyard) at different time slots throughout the Spirits Festival and scheduled dates till end November 2024.
