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Welcome Good Fortune at the Vegetarian Festival

Published by Daniel Cummings, Writer

Country: Thailand

The Experience

You'd have to be a pretty avid meat-eater to associate vegetarianism with acts of self-mutilation. Either that or you'd have to be at the Vegetarian Festival in Phuket, known as Kin Jay to the locals. During the first nine days of the ninth lunar month, the local Chinese community congregate to eat vegetarian dishes and preform astonishing displays of ritual purification to their gods. Entranced in worship, devotees of the Vegetarian Festival known as Ma Song, will invite the gods into their bodies. By channeling supernatural powers and performing acts of self torture, the participants try to shift evil from individuals to themselves, and usher in good fortune for the community. The Ma Song show off their powers by climbing ladders with bladed rungs, puncturing their cheeks and tongues with skewers and knives, and walking on burning coals. These more extreme participants of the Vegetarian Festival perform such acts when they have been chosen by God for good moral character, or if they have had a signal of misfortune in their future and wish to extend their life. Witnessing such an event can sometimes be hard to handle as the Ma Song thrust spikes, spears, axes and other unlikely objects through their cheeks to scare away demons. They claim to feel no pain due to the trance they are in and rarely bleed, but for those with a weak stomach the Vegetarian Festival might not be for you. Other members of the community participate in the Vegetarian Festival by chanting at temples, abstaining from meat, sex, alcohol, and tobacco, and bringing their household idols out for blessings. According to legend, in ancient times a Chinese opera troupe fell ill while traveling in Thailand, likely from malaria. By fasting from meat and performing various rituals, they were healed, and the Vegetarian Festival has been a highlight of the local Chinese community's calendar ever since. Throughout the festival there is constant celebration to be taken in with several displays of fireworks, music, rituals and eating! It is quite a sight to see and hear for that matter, as it is believed the louder the celebration the better, as the noise drives away evils spirits.

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Puzzle

When to Go to Vegetarian Festival Phuket

The Vegetarian Festival falls on the first nine days of the ninth lunar month, which usually falls in September or October. While the Vegetarian Festival is observed in many places, the biggest celebration happens in Phuket, where 35% of the population are ethnic Chinese. If you want to fly from Bangkok there are many small carriers operating no frills flights at rates that are surprisingly cheap. Otherwise, the many travel agencies in every backpacker area will arrange the combination of buses and boats to get you there.

Odds n' Ends

The following are the rules that adherents observe during the Vegetarian Festival:

1. Cleanliness of bodies during the festival
2. Clean kitchen utensils and use them separately from those who do not join the festival
3. Wear white during the festival
4. Behave physically and mentally
5. No meat eating
6. No sex
7. No alcoholic drinks
8. People at mourning period should not attend the festival
9. Pregnant women should not watch any ritual
10. Women who are menstruating should not attend the ritual

Want a Guide?

Phuket Beach Break - GAPAdventures.com
Thailand's largest and most visited island offers many beautiful beaches perfect for relaxing in the sun and swimming in the clear waters of the Andaman Sea. For something a bit more active, Phuket has no shortage of options: there is great snorkelling and diving at the many nearby reefs, cooking courses, elephant riding and golf courses, not to mention a vibrant night life. Visitors are well catered for, but the island still retains its Thai charm. With all of its amenities and entertainment options Phuket has something for everyone!

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Tackle the Trails on Thailand’s Coastal Islands
There's no doubt that Thailand offers some of the most beautiful beaches on the planet. From around the world, tourists flock to Thailand to soak up the hot Thai sun and enjoy the pristine beaches and friendly culture. However, one of the best ways to experience the gorgeous blue waters and incredible views that Thailand has to offer—is by hiking; and one of the best places in Thailand to hike is on any of the many, many islands that adorn Thailand’s tranquil coast. On Thailand’s islands, the unsuspecting hiker will find trails off the beaten path that will entertain and ...35 miles away.

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Books and DVDs

A Year of Festivals: How to Have the Time of Your Life (Paperback)
Phuket Encounter Guide - LonelyPlanet.com
What'll it be? Napping under a coconut palm on a deserted beach? Sipping cocktails as the sun goes down? Snorkelling, swimming, surfing and generally living the life aquatic? Welcome to Phuket!
Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2009: 850 Trends, Destinations, Journeys & Experiences for the Year Ahead

Elsewhere on the Web

Phuket Vegetarian Festival - Phuket.com
A colourful event held over a nine day period in late September/early October, this celebrates the Chinese community's belief that abstinence from meat and various stimulants during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar will help them obtain good health and peace of mind.
Phuket Vegetarian Festival - 28th Sep to 7th Oct 2008 - Phuket.net
The Phuket Vegetarian Festival, celebrated by the Chinese community in Phuket, is Phuket's most important festival held over nine days during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar (usually in late September or early October).
Phuket Vegetarian Festival - Phuketvegetarian.com
The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is an annual event held during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar.
Amazing Thailand - TourismThailand.org
The Thai-Chinese in Phuket have long passed on the vegetarian festival to purify mind and soul by refraining from meat consumption and meditating.

Media References

In Thailand, Keeping the Festive in Festival - NYTimes.com (newspaper)
Every October (Oct. 11 to 19 this year) the resort island of Phuket sheds its bikini-blanketed reputation to hold one of the most bizarre and dramatic celebrations on the Thai calendar. On the sixth day of the Vegetarian Festival, tens of thousands of gawkers come to watch a procession of self-impaled celebrants.
Self Possession - NationalGeographic.com (magazine)
During Phuket's annual vegetarian festival, spirit servants undertake extreme tests of faith - piercing themselves with metal skewers, climbing ladders made of razor blades, and cutting themselves with axes - all while in a spiritual trance.
Planning a Trip Phuket - NYTimes.com (newspaper)
If you are on Phuket around October/November, don't miss the Vegetarian Festival. The name is misleading -- it is not about Animal Rights or being health conscious, but a Thai-Chinese tradition on Phuket (and now celebrated widely throughout southern Thailand) that corresponds with the Buddhist Lent.

Language Guides

Japanese , Lao , Malay , Mandarin , Thai , Vietnamese are some of the languages spoken in Thailand. If you know of a freely available phrase book or podcast for one of the missing languages, let us know!

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