Vegetarian festival in Phuket and throughout Thailand

The vegetarian festival is a magical time when a large part of the Thai population stops eating meat for nine days and nights.

Date of the 2022 vegetarian festival

The next Phuket Vegetarian Festival will take place from 26 September to 4 October 2022.

Description

The vegetarian festival is a special time of the year when Thai people are invited to stop eating meat and sometimes very impressive ceremonies, like those in Phuket, are organised in and around Chinese temples.

During this period vegetarian (and vegan) dishes delicious and at very low prices (sometimes free of charge) are offered in markets and even in shopping centres.

The festival is popular throughout the Thailandand in particular in areas with large populations of Chinese immigrants, such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket.

Self-harm: the Masong

During these ceremonies, mainly in Phuket, devotees practice various forms of self-mutilation, walking on embers and piercing their bodies with various accessories.

The Masong ม้าทรง are the people who invite the spirits of the gods to possess their bodies.

Ma (ม้า) is the word for horse in Thai, and the name masong refers to the way the spirits of the gods use the bodies of these people as a vehicle, like riding a horse.

Only pure, unmarried men or women with no family can become masong.

At the temple, they undergo a series of rituals to protect them for the duration of the festival, including flogging and self-mutilation.

The masong tradition does not exist in China during this festival and is believed to have been adopted from the Indian festival of Thaipusam.

However, spiritual possession in China is also linked to the term horse.

Participants say that it does not hurt, but others scream at their mutilation, which is prepared months in advance and monitored by doctors.

Vegetarianism at the festival

Many Thai people follow this vegetarian festivaleven if they don't eat Thai vegetarian food during the rest of the year.

Even the Prime Minister (Prayut Chan-ocha) encourages the Thai people to practice vegetarianism during this period.

Some Thais also practice vegetarianism on Buddha (full moon) day.

Phuket Vegetarian Festival

Phuket Vegetarian Festival

Origin of the vegetarian festival

The festival of nine emperor gods is a nine-day Taoist celebration beginning on the eve of the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, which is practised by Chinese communities in Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries.

This festival is said to have been introduced to Thailand in Phuket by a travelling Chinese opera company whose actors fell ill with malaria while performing on the island.

They decided to follow a strict vegetarian diet and to pray to the nine emperor gods to ensure the purification of the mind and body.

To everyone's amazement, the opera company made a full recovery.

As a result, the vegetarian festival has become a popular event practised throughout most of Thailand.

Follow the yellow and red flag

During the festival, all restaurants and food stalls that offer vegan food display a yellow and red flag with some kind of 17 written on it.

17 is in fact the word Djé : เจ which indicates a vegan or vegetarian diet.

Veganism refers to an exclusively plant-based diet.

This diet, in contrast to the vegetarian diet, prohibits the consumption of milk and eggs as well as all other foods of animal origin.

See : Vegetarianism in Thailand

Rules for participating in the vegetarian festival

You can just watch the ceremonies, or take the opportunity to stop eating meat for a few days and enjoy the many delicious vegetarian dishes on offer.

But if you want to participate fully in this festival, here are the 10 rules to follow:

Avoid eating any kind of meat or harming animals.

2. Abstain from all dairy products, butter or oil of animal origin.

3. Abstain from strong and flavoured food, very spicy food, very salty food, very sweet food, very acidic food.

4. Abstain from five strong smelling vegetables which are garlic, elephant garlic, onions, chives, tobacco leaves and strong spices.

5. Practice the following five precepts:

• refrain from killing
• refrain from stealing
• refrain from sexual misconduct
• refrain from false speech
• abstain from intoxicants that cause carelessness

6. purify the mind

7. Doing merits (good deeds), wearing white clothes

8. Use different kitchen utensils from others, which are only used for the festival

9. Avoid drinking alcohol

10. Menstruating women should not attend the rituals.

Video of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival

Attention, sensitive souls!

See also : Phuket, the complete guide to the Pearl of Andaman

Source: learnthaiwithmod.com ; phuket.com; Wikipedia Photos from the Phuket Vegetarian Festival: Joseph Ferris III