subject: Vegetarian Festival in Phuket – Unforgettable Experience [print this page] Vegetarian Festival in Phuket Unforgettable Experience
For all the globetrotting vegetarians out there, a visit to Thailand between the months of September and October is ripe. The first new moon after the autumn equinox is a festive time in Thailand. This is the time they celebrate the annual Vegetarian Festival. For nine straight days, Thailand turns into a vegetarian haven.
Thailand is a largely a Buddhist country that many foreigners think that Thais are vegetarians. Buddhism teaches its believers not to harm all living things but this does not stop most Thais from eating all kinds of meat. It seems that most Thais would rather pay for their karmic debt than not to eat their favorite meat dishes. Any meat dish given to Thai monks is a cause for concern. A monk should not refuse any food given to him.
The Thai Vegetarian Festival had its roots in China. The festivity is also observed in other Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia and Singapore. The festival is not only about indulging in vegetarian dishes but more importantly a time for physical and ritualistic cleansing of one's self in honor of Kwan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion in Buddhism.
Not all vegetarians are Buddhists and not all Buddhists are vegetarians. Being a vegetarian is a choice. If thought of carefully, being a vegetarian is actually a healthy choice. However for most Thais, vegetarianism is only observed for the duration of the Vegetarian Festival.
Restaurants and food stalls change or tweak their menus to accommodate the "je" or vegetarian dishes. No meat is allowed to be used even as "seasoning". Cooks and Chefs are imaginative people and it is not uncommon for traditional Thai dishes to be tweaked and optioned to pass as a vegetarian dish. Look for a yellow flag at the front entrance of restaurants. Where a yellow flag is unfurled, a vegetarian meal is available.
Note that the food is not really "je" as the food should have been prepared in the kitchen of a Chinese temple or affiliates and should have gone through a string of Buddhist rites.
Tourists can go anywhere in Thailand for the celebration. However, the biggest celebration is in Phuket. Rituals are "staged" in Phuket where several mah song beckon other spirits to possess them. They pierce their tongues and cheeks with swords, flowers and other unusual items. It is said that these people do not feel pain and that after the rites, their bodies return to normal.
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