Vegetarian Festival in Phuket

Vegetarian festival is believed to be a sacred ritual done for good fortune and pay respect to Gods. Also eating vegetarian for 9 days is believed to purify a body with good food. It is an event that held annually across Thailand however Phuket has known to be a province that held the biggest vegetarian festival.

Vegetarian festival is held for 9 days in total and the period of event will be slightly different for each year depending on lunar month of Chinese calendar. For this year the event is held during 01 – 09 October 2016. There will be big sub-events held consecutively in several Chinese shrines in Phuket as well as on the street. You could make a visit to each event to see how locals react to these events and don’t forget to wear white to fit in with the crown. 

Street procession of each shrine is the example of sub-event that will occur during Vegetarian festival. Street procession in Phuket is the most participated of all provinces. You could find people doing many different thing while participated to invoke the Gods such as body piercing and dancing in weird movement.

Moreover, food during vegetarian festival is very interesting and surprisingly delicious even though there is no meat combined. You could easily find vegetarian food at restaurant that put a yellow sign with a word written in red. The wording written is “Jay or Jai” means there is “no meat dish”. If you are not a veggie person, don’t worry and try some protein substitutes that made from soybean that have exactly the same taste and smell as real meat.

Advices to those who new to this event are don’t forget to wear protection to your ears as there always be loud noise from firecrackers and have a mask with you as there will be lots of smoke both from firecrackers and joss stick.

Make sure you make a visit to Phuket for one of the biggest event of the year, “Vegetarian festival”.

Credit information

http://guru.sanook.com/4392/

http://www.festivalsofthailand.com/home/thailand-festivals/vegetarian-festival/

http://www.sawadee.com/thailand/festivals/festival10.html

Credit photo

https://goo.gl/xxUbR4

http://www.tlcthai.com/education/knowledge-online/15375.html

Photo creditRoberto Trombetta

http://www.tatnews.org/chinese-thainess-celebrated-across-phuket-during-the-annual-vegetarian-festival/