The Hungry Ghost Month is from Aug 23 to Sep 21 this year, and as most of us know, many Chinese are extra cautious and superstitious during this period, so as to avoid offending the spirits that are temporarily visiting the living realm. 

Be that as it may, there are also non-believers. But where do we draw the line between being casually unbothered and being disrespectful?

Case in point: A recent viral video sees a guy from Singapore eating food left out during Hungry Ghost Month. Panning to the traditional offerings laid out on the floor, he captions: "When you're broke and hungry but you realised 7th month just started so you genuinely just start grabbing food off the floor."

Cut to the next scene where he's seen reaching for a toppled-over huat kueh from the ground. He then films himself chewing something, and opens his mouth to show some kind of green-coloured confectionary in his mouth. 

While some opined that his video was meant to be a prank — considering that the cake he was eating was a totally different colour from the orange kueh on the ground — many still felt that his actions were disrespectful. 

"It is a taboo to eat the offerings. He do this just to get attention and views?" questioned one netizen, while others assumed the young guy simply "did not care". 

FYI, unlike offerings made to deities, those that are meant as offerings to spirits and ancestors should be left untouched. It is believed that the spirits consume the "essence" of the food, and misfortune will befall a person should they eat the very same items.  

Some said that it would be "okay" to eat the offerings if the guy was really in a desperate situation like he claimed, but most agree he was simply making the video for views and attention. They deemed his actions "embarrassing". 

How far will one go to go viral on the Internet these days? 

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