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Published: October 23rd 2012
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Chinese dragon
Phuket Town decorations We made it through the storm!
19 different people, old friends, new friends, and strangers, passed through our house in the past 10 days. Our new record for most surfers in one night is now 10! Beds, couches, floor pillows, and yoga mats filled.
The event that brought so may travelers to our door is a Phuket tradition called the Vegetarian Festival. The Vegetarian Festival first began in 1825, when a traveling Chinese opera company came to Phuket to perform for the immigrant Chinese miners. The whole company fell seriously ill, so they restricted themselves to a vegetarian diet until the illness mysteriously cured itself. The people saw this as a sign, and now on the first evening of the ninth lunar month, vegetarian ceremonies continue at each of the Chinese temples around the island.
The rules of the festival are as follows:
1. Wear white
2. Do not eat meat
3. Do not share utensils with those not participating in the festival (meat contamination?)
4. Cleanliness of the body
5. Behave physically and mentally
6. No sex
7. No alcoholic drinks
8. People in mourning should not attend
9. Pregnant women should not watch any ritual
10.
Menstruating women should not attend the ritual
Ceremonies are performed everyday at each temple. Every temple will have a traditional raising of the Go Teng pole, which the nine Gods are invited to descend. Then the good stuff begins. Markets and food stalls selling assortments of vegetarian and vegan foods appear in the towns around the temple. Noise-making, drumming, and processions come from every direction. Fireworks and firecrackers explode on every street corner. *We especially enjoyed this, purchasing a shopping bag full of goodies for a measly $7, providing us with a weekend full or entertainment. Even the neighbors came over to help us fill the streets with sparks and noise!* The ceremonies grew in intensity each day, starting with praying and trance-running/dancing, escalating up to fire-walking, cheek piercing, and even bladed-ladder climbing. These are all perfumed by Ma Songs, or chosen people who are possessed by the spirits of the Gods. They are said to be completely unharmed by any of the body mutilation, feeling no pain and having very little bleeding and scarring. They perform these outrageous stunts to shift evil away from others and onto themselves, bringing good luck to the community.
It was incredible
to be here to witness such a unique aspect of Thai culture; or rather, Phuket culture. To my knowledge, no other provinces in Thailand celebrate the Vegetarian Festival. Check out the pictures below if you feel brave, but do not do so while eating! And yes, these are my own pictures, with the exception of the helicopter one. I did not get a chance to snap this guy's photo, but found it online the next day- by far the coolest face-object we saw! These are the kinds of events that making being in Thailand such a thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
WARNING: Do NOT look through the attached photos if you are squeamish or grossed out by blood and/or body mutilation. No one was "injured" during any of the events photographed.
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