Procession Of The Saints - Vegetarian Festival (Practice Vegetarianism)
Fire-walking to burn away the body's evils
The procession saints' effigies around town forms part of the Vegetarian Festival (Practice vegetarianism) of Muang District in the Southern Province of Trang . It is held between the 1st-9th of the tenth month of the Chinese calendar. During the Festival , people will refrain from eating all meat and strongly flavored vegetables. All they eat are simple vegetables and fresh fruits, as a way of purifying t heir minds; it is also a useful way of getting rid of toxins from consuming meat over the years. This sacrifice bestows good luck on practitioners, since its symbolizes their respect of the ancient zodiac and their ancestors . The ceremony in the South is held annually in the ninth month. It is totally different from the ceremony held in Bangkok, since it is a grand festival combining old traditions, religion, cultures and astrology . Even Chinese visitors have commented Trangs celebrations are the equal of any in China ! Thus, this festival is not simple as expected due to the strict and complicate regulations.
The Procession of the mediums
In Trang there are 2 revered Saints: Kiew Ong Hud Joe and Muen Ram. Every year they are alternately paraded in a procession around the town, blessing the villagers. The rite may be slight ly different.
The procession led by mediums who communicate with the spirits. They will show the power of god or goddess by torturing their own bodies. It means the god admit human's pain and difficulty. Surprisingly, t he mediums do not show any feeling of pain.
The procession passes along the roads, bestowingpeace on the people. A parade consists of 50 litters , but only 2 main ones "Tua Rian" are beautifully decorated. These are the vehicles for the Saint Kiew Ong Hud Joe and the Goddess Bhothisat Kuan lm.
The parade boasts a multitude of colorful flags, displaying the names of the Gods on them. They are followed by believers dressed in white , bearing and holding joss sticks in their hands. The midday sun on their white costumes reflects light in all directions , shining bright as the light of Dhamma (Buddhist teaching).
The Big Bang
Mediums who communicate with spirits show the power of their faith by piercing sharp weapons through their cheeks. Amazingly, not one drop of blood is seen ! The mediums walk back and forth , some brandishing their weapons. They are followed by respected men holding brushes, ink and holy water basins. When they pass by the tables set up in front of the people's houses , they will enter inside to give their blessing and determine if there may be any evil spirits or bad luck lurking inside. If that is indeed the case , holy water will be sprinkled to chase the evil spirits away. Magic tokens are also given to the house-owners , to be papered onto favorable positions . In some hou r s, the holy men will choose some fruits, bless them and present them to the family to eat. Some mediums who come later will give only magic tokens to the house owners .
As a highlight of the ceremony , the people of Trang literally celebrate with a big bang , using firecrackers .
Firecrackers are one of the marvels created by the ancient Chinese, used in many ceremonies and festivals . The original urpose/of firecrackers was to scare away evils and welcome pm perity. They are also a favorite amusement of the Gods, so the more the firecrackers , the longer the gods will be tempted to stay.
Fire-walking to burn away the body's evils
The procession saints' effigies around town forms part of the Vegetarian Festival (Practice vegetarianism) of Muang District in the Southern Province of Trang . It is held between the 1st-9th of the tenth month of the Chinese calendar. During the Festival , people will refrain from eating all meat and strongly flavored vegetables. All they eat are simple vegetables and fresh fruits, as a way of purifying t heir minds; it is also a useful way of getting rid of toxins from consuming meat over the years. This sacrifice bestows good luck on practitioners, since its symbolizes their respect of the ancient zodiac and their ancestors . The ceremony in the South is held annually in the ninth month. It is totally different from the ceremony held in Bangkok, since it is a grand festival combining old traditions, religion, cultures and astrology . Even Chinese visitors have commented Trangs celebrations are the equal of any in China ! Thus, this festival is not simple as expected due to the strict and complicate regulations.
The Procession of the mediums
In Trang there are 2 revered Saints: Kiew Ong Hud Joe and Muen Ram. Every year they are alternately paraded in a procession around the town, blessing the villagers. The rite may be slight ly different.
The procession led by mediums who communicate with the spirits. They will show the power of god or goddess by torturing their own bodies. It means the god admit human's pain and difficulty. Surprisingly, t he mediums do not show any feeling of pain.
The procession passes along the roads, bestowingpeace on the people. A parade consists of 50 litters , but only 2 main ones "Tua Rian" are beautifully decorated. These are the vehicles for the Saint Kiew Ong Hud Joe and the Goddess Bhothisat Kuan lm.
The parade boasts a multitude of colorful flags, displaying the names of the Gods on them. They are followed by believers dressed in white , bearing and holding joss sticks in their hands. The midday sun on their white costumes reflects light in all directions , shining bright as the light of Dhamma (Buddhist teaching).
The Big Bang
Mediums who communicate with spirits show the power of their faith by piercing sharp weapons through their cheeks. Amazingly, not one drop of blood is seen ! The mediums walk back and forth , some brandishing their weapons. They are followed by respected men holding brushes, ink and holy water basins. When they pass by the tables set up in front of the people's houses , they will enter inside to give their blessing and determine if there may be any evil spirits or bad luck lurking inside. If that is indeed the case , holy water will be sprinkled to chase the evil spirits away. Magic tokens are also given to the house-owners , to be papered onto favorable positions . In some hou r s, the holy men will choose some fruits, bless them and present them to the family to eat. Some mediums who come later will give only magic tokens to the house owners .
As a highlight of the ceremony , the people of Trang literally celebrate with a big bang , using firecrackers .
Firecrackers are one of the marvels created by the ancient Chinese, used in many ceremonies and festivals . The original urpose/of firecrackers was to scare away evils and welcome pm perity. They are also a favorite amusement of the Gods, so the more the firecrackers , the longer the gods will be tempted to stay.
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