Ghost Festival and Buddhism

Held on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month (based on, obviously, the Lunar calendar as opposed to our Gregorian one), this is a holiday celebrated by both some Chinese, Taiwanese, and Buddhist monks (specifically the Mahayana sect). Offering food to their ancestors and surrounding a shrine with fruit, water, bowls of rice, and noodles, local Taipei onlookers and volunteers are swarming around in a elementary school near the bus stop I usually take. Having seen some of the preparation work the evening before, Esther (a friend I met in my housing complex) and I talked with some of the workers. After slowing down their rapid speech, we caught that if we came back the next day we could actually help make the mochi balls (rice flour dough that is boiled and usually very sweet) for the people who would be arriving to pray to their ancestors. We gratefully accepted, and returned the next day at 1pm.