This October from the 15th to the 23rd, you can witness one of the most bizarre festivals in all of Thai events. The Vegetarian Festival is an annual festival lasting nine days during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. One can only guess that it involves the abstinence of meat, but there’s a lot more to it. What may sound like an exciting celebration of delicious veggies is more like a painful-to-watch and partake celebration of bloody cheeks and feet.
You must have a strong stomach to just watch what passes you by. As a way to bring luck and show power to their Gods, devotees suffer by extreme acts such as piercing their cheeks with sharp objects or blades, hanging heavy objects from holes in their skin, slicing their tongues, and walking on sharp blades or burning charcoal. These devotees believe that the more pain they endure, the more luck and success they can expect. Cutting ceremonies follow street processions and occur in the temples of Phuket town.
With the pain and mutilation also comes regulation with a list of rules to respect. You must be saying to yourself, “What kind of festival is this?” Put it this way, what might be normal and acceptable in your culture can seem completely bizarre to an outsider. But the real answer is simply dedication to faith. The following are 10 rules to follow if you plan to take part in the oddity of a celebration:
- Bodies must be kept clean during the event
- Kitchen utensils must be cleaned and shall not be used
- White must be worn
- Sex must be abstained from
- Meat should not be eaten
- Menstruating women should not partake in the festival
- Pregnant women should not partake in the festival
- People in mourning should not partake in the festival
- Alcohol must not be consumed
- All must behave mentally and physically
Believe it or not, the festival originated from China. A traveling opera group was appointed to give performances to the Chinese miners of Kathu. During their period of work, the group became very ill and decided to stick to a vegetarian diet while performing religious acts for 9 days. After this time, they became healthier as the sickness magically disappeared.
Apart from the goriness, there is delicious vegetarian meals to be had during the festival. Along Ranong Road are stalls selling salads, curries, fresh squeezed juices, and a whole lot more to fill your appetite. You’ll need the food and beach after everything you will witness!
The Vegetarian Festival is not complete without the loud and smokey closing ceremony. As a final send-off to the Gods, fireworks explode all over the streets. The war-like intensity might cause anxiety so come prepared with ear plugs for a little help. It’s clearly obvious this event is not for everyone, but can guarantee an interesting experience that you may not see anywhere else in the world. At least there is good food!
Photo by Electrostatico
