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Thai culture, Thai life style, Thai holidays and most of all Thai food….who doesn’t want to know about it! The country celebrates its blessings almost through out the year. One such festival is Thai Vegetarian Festival. The name may sound like its all about green veggies and ripe fruits…but actually, it’s much much more than just that. The Thai Vegetarian festival is a 9-day event that includes strict vegetarian diets, temple offerings, and some of the most incredible acts of self-mortification.

Commonly known as the “Kin Jay Festival”, this annual Vegetarian Festival in Thailand is started with the raising of a pole at Chinese temples around the country. This ritual stands for the signal to the nine gods to come down to earth to take the offerings such as self mortification. The Vegetarian festival, like many other religions, is celebrated on different dates each year as they are set by the phases and sighting of the moon. In Samut Prakan, the festival is celebrated for around ten days however, in other parts of the country it runs for nine days and nights. Although at this time of the year, Chinese communities all around Thailand celebrate the Vegetarian Festival, but the concentration of the popular or mega events can be seen at large in Phuket and Samut Prakan City.

The mediums that take part in the act of self-mortification are said to be in a state of trance while they have their cheeks pierced and bodies spiked with various sharp objects, most of them walk home with no tears or expressions of anxiety at their faces (which is quite amazing). These rituals are undertaken in order to purify their minds and bodies. During the festival, processions of people (lead by those offering self mortifications) take an almost 4 hour’s walk in the streets of the city, during which they are offered vegetable and fruits by the locals (as offerings to the Gods believed to be in possession of their bodies).

There are some untold set of rules, which imply on all those that take apart in this festival. If you are interested in taking part yourself either this year or the next, then here are extracts of some rules:

1. Keep your body clean during the nine days of the festival
2. Use special kitchen utensils that have never been used to prepare and cook meat and eat in plates or pots that are made without usage of any kind of animal substance.
3. Wear white or yellow during the festival
4. Make your mind pure and mentally calm
5. Do not eat meat or animal products such as milk and butter, and strong smelling ingredients such as garlic and onion
6. No copulation or courtship during the festival days is permitted. Also those preparing for self mortification stop any such activities month before the festival to be clean inside out.
7. Any alcoholic drinks or tobacco is not allowed.
8. People who are mourning should not attend the festival
9. Pregnant ladies should not attend any of the ceremonies
10. Ladies who are having a period should not attend any of the ceremonies

During the Vegetarian Festival, Phuket City is worth a visit. Also, this year it is expected to be close to winter holiday and cheap flights to Phuket will be easily available form anywhere in UK in sale and promotional fares. for more information about ongoing special offers for Thailand with leading airlines see Cheap flights to Thailand.

Last year the Phuket Vegetarian Festival ran from October 18th – 26th 2009. Also, for the tourists and spectators, the Vegetarian Festival is the place to get some real good vegetarian food, to see some amazing processions and inspiring acts like climbing of ladders, made of knives, walking on fire etc.