I told you that Thais in the total mass - People peaceful, friendly and smiling people? So, once a year, these milestone creatures turn into bloodthirsty monsters. They grab all the piercing and cutting items and ruthlessly cripples ... they themselves.
It is called similar mass psychosis quite peacefully - the vegetarian festival. This is perhaps one of the most unusual holidays in the world, which every year attracts more and more tourists to Phuket.
For almost two hundred years, once a year, the participants of the festival test themselves with all possible ways.
Two versions of this strange tradition are told to pitch their body to all than only you can, and walk in such a way through the streets with songs and dances. However, none of them, in my opinion, does not explain this madness. But I will tell you anyway.
During the procession, such a number of Petard explodes that it becomes dangerous.
So, according to one legend, at the beginning of the XIX century, a small community of Chinese lived on Phuket Island, who worked on local tin mines. In 1825, a terrible epidemic broke out among the community and to stop her, the Chinese decided to stop feeding with meat. The second version is actually very similar to the first, only the Actors of the Chinese opera appear in the arena. It seems to be how exactly they all in the same 1825 advised their countrymen to start a religious post - they say, if this is not done, the island overwhelms the real epidemic. How and why the post and rejection of meat suddenly began to be combined with the bloody ritual to stretch themselves with all possible ways, I still incomprehensible. But for almost two hundred years, every fall for a whole week is the island turns into a very strange place. Believe me, this is a very unusual spectacle when a whole procession of people is going on the street, one of which from the cheek can hang the muffler from the motorcycle, and the other is a handle from the umbrella under which it is hidden from the sun.
Religion and commerce in one bottle: Sometimes the participants of the festival are on themselves advertising stretching.
Although this festival is traveling from all over the world, you may well prevent before it. For example, if you are a woman who has just critical days. Or - deeply pregnant like me. What were the ladies with critical days (well, except that the ability to compete with the expending blood vegetarians), I do not really understand. But my belly really was not very comfortable at the festival. And not even the kind of punctured cheeks, hands, feet and other parts of the body of the blame. Just processions are accompanied by Petard explosions. And it is so noisy and unpleasant that I, glanced (despite the prohibitions of the police) with one eye on the procession, flew in the house for the time of the holiday. No, perhaps, I will look for other entertainment on the island. More calmer and pacifying ...
Continuation of a story…
Olga's previous story read here, and where it all starts - here.