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1500
Why the ritual takes place
The Phuket Vegetarian Festival happens once a year, during the ninth lunar month, and is one of the most superstitious events on the island. For this unique occasion, a crowd assemble in every Chinese shrine around the island, followed by an even bigger horde of photographers avid to get the shot of their life. The Vegetarian Festival is an internationally known event, and while it also happens modestly in Bangkok around the same dates, it is mostly a Phuket event. -
Period: 1500 to
Phuket Vegetarian Festival
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1550
Masongs
Among the festival’s devotees are a number of unmarried men and women called masong who, under trance, let the spirits of the gods enter their bodies and then proceed to pierce their bodies or walk over burning coals etc. They typically dress in white or yellow and have a support team nearby who tend to their wounds or – in some cases – help them support a particularly heavy piercing, say, a beach umbrella. -
Shrines
Various Chinese shrines on the island – over 40 of them – get involved with the festival, and while some of them are just small shrines, the major ones are the most interesting. They include Bang Niew, Cherng Talay, Phut Jaw, Jui Tui and Kathu. The parades usually start early in the morning. -
What happens on the day
Although there is no alcohol and is supposed to be spiritual, it is still very chaotic. There are lots of loud firecrackers and smoke everywhere, as well as loud singing and dancing. The self mutilation as seen in the photos can be very confronting. People also walk through burning coal. -
Spiritual background
The reason that they do this is a worship to the nine gods based on ancient Chinese rituals. The strict diet and rules as well as the body mutilations act as a sacrifice to the gods. -
Rituals during the festival
Some of the rules during the festival include no drinking alcohol, no eating meat (hence the name vegetarian festival), no eating dairy, no having sex, having a healthy clear mind, wearing white and eating healthy food. -
What religion it relates
This ritual is from the Taoist religion. It is celebrated in most south eastern countries Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
