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thailand : Vegetarian Food Offered to the Public at Low Prices during the Vegetarian Festival |
 Vegetarian Food Offered to the Public at Low Prices during the Vegetarian FestivalThe Department of Internal Trade is joining hands with markets in Bangkok and the provinces in bringing vegetarian food for sale at low prices to the general public during the Vegetarian Festival. The general public, whether they are vegetarians or non-vegetarians, is facing rising costs of vegetables because of surging domestic demand.
Permanent Secretary for Commerce Yanyong Phuangrach said that the Department is also working with many department stores nationwide in arranging a vegetarian food corner in response to vegetarian consumers. He admitted that prices of certain types of vegetables were high during this period because of floods in several regions of the country.
The Vegetarian Festival this year is scheduled for October 18 to 26. Many people in Thailand are celebrating this occasion, when they refrain from consuming meat. The symbol for the Vegetarian Festival is a small yellow flag placed at vegetarian food stalls. Yellow represents Buddhism and good moral conduct.
The festival has little to do with vegetarianism in the Western sense. It draws its name from the fact that practitioners do not eat meat for a spell. It is the time for purifying one’s body and mind.
Originally, the festival was observed in Chinese communities or among ethnic Chinese, or Thais of Chinese origin. Today, a large number of people, regardless of their origin and beliefs, join the celebration. Some people participate because they believe that vegetarian food is good for health. They also believe that by consuming only meat-free meals for the nine-day period, they will cleanse their bodies and minds. Meat consumption also encourages slaughter and is therefore sinful. So refraining from eating meat is considered meritorious, because the practice eliminates one cause of killing.
Legend has it that during this spell in the ninth Chinese calendar month, nine deities dressed as kings come down from heaven to inspect the earth and record the good and bad deeds of each person. So during this period, those who observe the festival try to do good to show to the deities their good deeds. In observing the Vegetarian Festival, many people dress in white and pay homage to spirits in Chinese shrines. Apart from not taking meat, they also refrain from eating some vegetables with a strong smell, such as garlic, onion, spring onion, Chinese chive, and Chinese parsley. Vegetables and fruits are the main raw materials for a vegetarian diet.
The Vegetarian Festival is celebrated everywhere in Thailand, but Phuket is one of the provinces where the event is held on a wide scale. During this period, all Chinese shrines in Phuket are open for rituals of self-purification. The festival has become a major cultural event of this southern island, attracting tourist arrivals during this period, especially from Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong, which have large Chinese populations.
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