Moving In During Ghost Month? Taiwan's Bed-Setting Customs Explained
You can still set up a bed during Ghost Month — the farmer's almanac is not religious and lists auspicious days in the seventh lunar month too. Until then, keep the mattress 10 cm off the wall or angled, place red paper under the bed legs, and slide it into position on the chosen day.
As the old saying goes, 'a hundred years of life, fifty spent in bed.' Setting up the bed properly — a custom known in Taiwan as an chuang — matters not only for sleep quality but for peace of mind. Buying a home and moving in are major life milestones, and it can be genuinely stressful when the move-in or bed-setting date lands in Ghost Month, the seventh lunar month. Whether you keep local worship customs or are a committed atheist, in a place as steeped in incense and tradition as Taiwan, why not go with the local flow and take in a little of Ghost Month's mystique?
Ghost Month is nothing to fear — keep good intentions and a respectful heart
Ghost Month is a major occasion in Taiwanese folk culture. Both the Buddhist Ullambana Festival (the story of Mulian rescuing his mother) and the Taoist birthday of the Middle Primordial Earth Official fall on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month. Buddhist or Taoist, devout believer or atheist, everyone shares at least one wish: for things to get better — or at the very least, not worse. This is, after all, a nationwide folk observance, even more widespread than the famous Matsu pilgrimage, and when the elders in your family feel strongly about it, there is little room for second opinions. Let's establish one thing first: in both Buddhist and Taoist tellings, Ghost Month is not something to be afraid of. Keep good intentions and show mutual respect — much like knocking before entering a hotel room to announce yourself, or leaving a tip by the pillow before checking out. Both the living and the departed deserve respect.
About auspicious days
If you open the farmer's almanac, you'll find the seventh lunar month has plenty of good days for moving in and setting up a bed. That's because the almanac has nothing to do with religion. The lunar calendar we use today descends from the ancient Xia calendar — also called the huangli, or imperial calendar — a lunisolar system that tracks both sun and moon, and a distillation of ancient China's wisdom in astronomy, geography, philosophy, and the natural world. Ancient scholars believed the movements of stars and celestial bodies influence the Earth — not so different from modern science's ideas about magnetic fields and sunspots.
In fact, the seventh lunar month is a genuinely joyous season — a month of atonement and filial devotion — one we should approach with solemn respect, humility, and care. If your elders have strong opinions about the move, the housewarming, or the bed-setting, consider simply setting the matter aside for the sake of a harmonious home; that, too, is an act of filial respect.
If you truly have a compelling reason and must go ahead, we suggest keeping things low-key and aiming for a smooth, peaceful outcome for the whole family. As the saying goes, 'a hundred years of life, fifty spent in bed' — placing a mattress properly matters greatly, for sleep quality and for peace of mind alike.
How to set up the bed
1. The furniture has to move into the new home first, but the bed-setting will happen on a later chosen date. How should the bed be placed?
A: Don't push the mattress against the wall or the headboard — leave about 10 cm of space, or set it at an angle. When the auspicious day arrives, simply slide the mattress into its final position.
2. But what if there's only one mattress and someone still has to sleep on it?
A: Place red paper under each bed leg and position the mattress as described above. You can rest and sleep on it as usual. On the auspicious day, remove the red paper and slide the mattress into place.
Move-in customs are endless, so it's worth seeking professional guidance. The core principles are brightness and cleanliness: use traditional purifying items to cleanse the new home, and you can also pay respects to the Land God of your new neighborhood and to the home's Foundation Spirit. Some people even return to their old home after the move to thank its Foundation Spirit for years of care — an act in the same spirit as filial piety, like honoring the tree when you eat its fruit and remembering the source when you drink the water. Keep a grateful heart, and we believe it will mean far more than any elaborate ritual!
FAQ
Can I move house and set up a bed during Ghost Month?
Yes. The farmer's almanac has nothing to do with religion, and it lists plenty of auspicious days for moving in and setting up a bed during the seventh lunar month — just keep good intentions and stay respectful. If your elders have concerns, consider setting the matter aside for the sake of family harmony, or proceed quietly and aim for a smooth, peaceful outcome.
The furniture is already in the new home, but the auspicious bed-setting day hasn't arrived. How should I position the bed?
Keep the mattress itself away from the wall and the headboard — leave about 10 cm of space, or set it at an angle. When the auspicious day comes, simply slide the mattress into its final position.
What if I only have one mattress and need to sleep on it before the bed-setting day?
Place red paper under each bed leg and position the mattress as described — off the wall or at an angle. You can rest and sleep on it as usual. On the auspicious day, remove the red paper and slide the mattress into place.