Vegetarian Festival – Phuket, Thailand

Where: Phuket, Thailand

When: Sunday-Tuesday, October 14-23, 2012

Where To Stay: Phuket Hotels

The ten-day-long Thailand Vegetarian Festival takes place throughout Thailand – most notably in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket.  Phuket is considered to be the most colorful of celebrations.

The festival focuses on the avoidance of eating meat and hurting or killing animals. Devoted observants abstain from sex and alcohol during the ten days, as well.

The Vegetarian Festival takes place in temples and out on the streets, and there are processions between the temples.

One of the most unique aspects to the Vegetarian Festival is the mah song. A mah song is a man who believes to be possessed by a god during the festival. They walk across hot coals, pierce their bodies with hooks, blades, knives and bamboo poles. They believe that the deity possessing them will protect them from pain.

Click here for more information on the mah songs, and the Thailand Vegetarian Festival.