Extreme Vegetarians - Thailand's Vegetarian festival

The vegetarian festival or "kin jay" in Thai is held throughout Thailand during the ninth lunar month of the chinese calendar (September or October). The focus of the festival is in Phuket island in South West of Thailand. Combining deep spiritual superstition with elaborate showmanship, it is believed those who follow...
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Extreme Vegetarians - Thailand's Vegetarian festival

The vegetarian festival or "kin jay" in Thai is held throughout Thailand during the ninth lunar month of the chinese calendar (September or October). The focus of the festival is in Phuket island in South West of Thailand. Combining deep spiritual superstition with elaborate showmanship, it is believed those who follow the rituals and precepts of the festival will receive good fortune. During the 10 days there is an influx of activity around the Chinese temples. Many people visit the tenples each day to pray, offer incense and to see and participate in the different daily rites. Mediums which are chosen by, or choose Chinese gods and deities. For the rest of the year these mediums are local people holding normal jobs, families and going about day to day life, but for the 10 day festival they take on a greater significance. While possessed by their Chinese they deity perform different ceremonies many of which feature acts of self-torture such as body piercing, fire walking, bladed ladder climbing and repeated blows with axes or swords. Daily parades around the town with the god images and mediums going in procession are bombarded with firecrackers and the the streets are lined with spectators seeking good luck.
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