Piercings and Mock-Meat: Kin Jay Vegetarian (although really it’s Vegan) Festival





Outside temple



  It's the most wonderful time of the year for Thailand's meat-averse, with the nation's Thai-Chinese population kicking off a 10-day vegan diet on Monday as part of the annual Vegetarian Festival.  The festival is celebrated on the ninth Chinese lunar month, which this year runs from September 26-October 6 for 2011. During this time, Thailand’s Chinese communities purify their bodies by cutting all meat and dairy out of their diet.

 

Ritual Vegitarianism in Phuket Island traces
its roots back to the early 1800s.
YES - those are gardening shears

Thailand however, appears to have taken this self-purification to an entirely new level.  Mah song ม้าทรง are the people who invite the spirits of gods to possess their bodies. Mah ม้า is the word for horse in Thai, and the name mah song refers to how the spirits of the gods use the bodies of these people as a vehicle, as one rides a horse. Only pure, unmarried men or women without families of their own can become mah song. At the temple they undergo a series of rituals to protect them for the duration of the festival, during which flagellation and self-mutilation is practiced.

 Cleansing Sin through pain in Phuket: The festival calls on
devotees through self-mortification to purify themselves as
they take on the sins of the community.

I had read of horrible stories regarding the Vegan Festival self-mutilation, and had seen pictures that nearly made me lose my lunch (panang curry with tofu in case you were wondering ;) – but was relieved to discover that Bangkok celebrates this holiday much different than its gory Phuket counterpart (see picture…if you dare).  However, there is much more to this annual cleanse that simply cutting out meat and dairy.  Other rules that must be followed during the festival include no sex, no alcohol, drugs or tobacco, and no strong-smelling foods like garlic.  Similarly, women who are pregnant or menstruating are seen as “unclean,” and as a result, they are forbidden from taking part in the ceremonies at temple.

Praying for my family on gold!

In temple

I witnessed one temple ceremony and partook in the traditional custom of praying for your family by writing all of their names and birthdays on a gold leaflet.  As I walked through the hundreds of stalls offering Chinese vegan food in Chinatown, I recognized a few food items (gyoza and buns) and a few I had never seen before.  I am incredibly thankful to my new-found friends who encouraged me to try EVERYTHING, even when I was a little skeptical at first.  I was amazed at the “mock meat” options and still swear that I ate pork dumplings (although I am told they were mushroom!).

Mmmmm curry.  Now come on, someone tell me that this doesn't look like meat!