Phuket Vegetarian Festival
Phuket’s Vegetarian festival began in 1825, when a traveling opera company came from China to perform for the miners. The entire opera company fell ill and switched to a strict vegitarian diet, to honor the emperor gods, Kiew Ong Tai Teh and Yok Ong Sone Teh.
The opera company’s affliction soon disappeared. The locals were very much impressed and when the inquired as to how the quick recover came about, they were told that ritual vegetarianism and related ceremonies had led to the cure. This resulted in the local people embracing the faith enthusiastically. This was the birth of the festival which begins on the first evening of the ninth lunar month, and continues until the ninth. The belief is that the ritual brings good luck to individuals as well as to the community.
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