Vegetarian festivals kick off today with highlights in Bangkok's China Town and Phuket

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Vegetarian festivals kick off today with highlights in Bangkok's China Town and Phuket

BANGKOK: -- Chinese communities nationwide kicked off their vegetarian festivals simultaneously today.

But the festivities are at their height in Phuket where 35% of population is Thai Chinese, while in Bangkok, the highlight will be on Yaowaraj road or China Town.

The vegetarian festival orTesaganGinJe will be practised during a period of nine days. Those participating in the festival dress all in white and ginje which has come to be translated as abstinence from eating meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy products.

However there are two vegetarian festivals this year – from September 24 to October 2 and from October 24 to November 1 because the 9th lunar month of the Chinese calendar falls twice this year.

Vendors and proprietors of restaurants indicate that je food is for sale at their establishments by putting a yellow flag out with the word เจ (je) written on it in red.

However, technically, only food prepared in the sacred kitchen of the Chinese temples or called sanjao is je, as it must undergo a series of rituals before it can be given that name.

Traffic police today said Yaowarat road in Bangkok’s Chinatown will be closed to traffic from 3 p.m. on Wednesday for the launch of the local vegetarian festival.

The traffic closure is from Chalerm Buri intersection to the Odeon Circle to facilitate the start of the Yaowarat Vegetarian Festival. Floats carrying deity statues will move along the road about 5 p.m.

Motorists are advised to avoid Yaowarat and Charoen Krung roads and use Song Wat road instead.

In Phuket, festivities include a procession of mahsong wearing elaborate costumes who pierce their cheeks and tongues with all manner of things, including swords, banners, machine guns, table lamps, and flowers. While the face is the most common area pierced, some also pierce their arms with pins and fishhooks.

Teams of people accompany the mahsong to keep their wounds clean and to help support the heavier piercings.

It is believed that while they are possessed the mahsong will not feel any pain. They can also be seen shaking their heads back and forth continually, and usually do not seem to “see” their surroundings.

At the temple during the festival there is also fire walking and blade-ladder climbing. While large crowds of people gather to watch, the entranced mahsong distribute blessed candy and pieces of orange cloth with Chinese characters printed on them, yan, for good luck.

(Photo from Phuket)

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/vegetarian-festivals-kick-today-highlights-bangkoks-china-town-phuket/

-- Thai PBS 2014-09-24

[clockman]

And ingesting Monsanto, Poison

[Costas2008]

I remember, when I was very young and living in Greece, most of the people, living in the big cities were vegetarians.

And that was not out of choice, but because they couldn't afford to buy meat.

In the villages, it was unthinkable of being a vegetarian as they all had their live stock.

Nowadays, we celebrate and promote being vegetarian.

How the world has changed...............

And please, I don't want some clever one to come up and tell me.

If you couldn't afford meat, why didn't you have Kebabs?

[tips]

Agreed 200% by 100% fully agreed

[geminiman]

Watch out for the mock meat. Some studies(not in Thailand) have found that mock meat not only contains real meat but also non food ingredients.