禁忌之月-農曆七月 The Month of Taboo – Seventh Month of the Lunar Calendar

農曆七月的諸多禁忌來由究竟為何?這有諸多說法，多數故事指出這項習俗源於佛教，但也有部分故事認為這些禁忌源於古代君王。「寧可信其有，不可信其無。」因此不論這些習俗由何而來，至今它們仍是現代人在農曆七月中所遵守的規則。

        Where do we get all these taboos of the seventh month of the Lunar Calendar? There are many theories, most of the stories point towards Buddhism, while others suggest they originated from ancient monarchs. It is better to believe it to be true than not. Therefore, no matter the origins we still abide by these regulations during the seventh month.



普遍的規則

        農曆七月多數老一輩的人會說此時諸事不宜：不移居、不出遊、不嫁娶、不安排手術等等的禁忌。在七月初一的子時後，鬼門便會開啟整整一個月。在這一個月中來自冥界的居民可以在這世上自由來去，不受限制；因此人們在這一個月中便會盡量迴避。

        不過在七月二十九日便會因鬼門關而回歸正常，從現代觀點來看這些習俗，或許迷信，但主要還是因為夏日天氣炎熱，希望孩子們多注意自身以及他人安全而來。

General Rule of Thumb

        The elders would tell the youth this month is not good for anything. Migrating, traveling, wedding, operating, and many more things are tabooed. On the first day of the month, the doors to the world of the afterlife are opened and remain opened for the entire month. During this month the residents of the other world can roam freely among the living. Thus, people are rather cautious during these few days.

        However, with the closing of the doors on the 29th day, everything goes back to normal. From a modern perspective, these traditions may be a bit superstitious, but they are there mainly for a reminder to the youth to mind the safety of themselves and others during the peak of summer. 

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