Phuket Vegetarian Festival is one of the most important festivals celebrated in the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. The annual festival promotes the abstinence from meat in order to aid in preserving good health and peace of mind for all the participants.
Although the origins of the festival are unknown, the celebration is famous for various forms of self-mutilation.
Participants who perform ritualized mutilation during vegetarian believe that the Chinese gods will protect them from harm, and little blood or scarring will occur.
The festival ceremonies are meant to invoke the gods through the participants, who are acting as mediums of the god performing daring acts of fire-walking, body piercings through cheeks, arms, face, legs or back, partial skinning; limb slashing with swords, axes and knives or standing near firecrackers as they are lit.
The Phuket vegetarian festival takes place near the six Chinese temples scattered throughout the town. Members of Chinese-Thai community bring their household gods to the temple, along with offerings of food and drink to benefit from spiritual energy that fills the temple.
Publications and Links
Sources | Links
http://www.phuket.com/festival/vegetarian.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Emperor_Gods_Festival
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