Nine Emperor Gods Festival is the popular name for the vegetarian festival that celebrates Taoism. Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia transform into vegan places for nine days during the festival. The Vegetarian Festival, Thailand, is one of the major tourist attractions, and people participate with their whole hearts. Mainly the Chinese Hokkien people gather together across temples in these places to cherish the welcome good luck, prosperity and wealth. The festival is also about inner cleansing, physical and spiritual well-being, and eliminating negativity from body and soul. It’s a colourful event that devotees celebrate in September or October, during the ninth Chinese lunar month.
History of the Vegetarian Festival
The vegetarian festival started in Thailand and spread to other places where Chinese communities reside. The origin of the Phuket vegetarian festival is unknown. However, the old Chinese people say, once a group of the Chinese population fell ill due to infection of malaria, from then they started worshipping nine Emperor gods to eliminate illness from the island. This process of sacrifice for nine days ensures the purification of body and soul. After nine days, the Chinese who fell ill had recovered and conquered the evil disease. This strengthened the belief in the festival, which became an annual ritual in Thailand.
Believers of this tradition strictly follow the rituals and shift entirely to a vegan diet.
According to another belief, one performer is selected from among the people and sent to China. The performer invites the nine emperor gods, also known as Kiu Ong Lah, to Phuket, Thailand.
The celebration has evolved, taking on many new features and practices, to become a global attraction. The island people had set an example through the power and belief in spirituality. Now, not only island Chinese groups but people across Asian destinations, including Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam celebrate and seek blessings from God during the vegetarian festival.
What is the Attraction of the Vegetarian Festival?
The biggest highlight of the vegetarian festival is thrilling activities performed by the devotees. These can be pretty extreme and not for the faint-hearted
The activities include piercing or puncturing cheeks with knives and blades as a show of strength and resilience. Devotees remain undeterred by the pain and blood loss because they believe God would save them from harm. Such extreme displays of devotion can be triggering for some. Casual onlookers avoid these and enjoy the other fun activities at the vegetarian festival.
Six Chinese temples across Phuket are selected for the celebration. Jui Tui Shrine temple located in Phuket town is the most important one. The festival starts with raising a lantern pole, which informs the gods about the beginning of the festival. Hindu god Shiva channelizes the power to the festival just after lighting a 10-metre long tall lantern.
In Singapore, the devotees believe that Shiva is the spiritual centre and would bless the festival events. On the second day, Chinese people bring offerings to God and their home idol to the temple. Devotees believe that the positive energy will transfer from the temple idol to their God’s idol.
Another strong belief among devotees in Malaysia is surprising and motivational at the same time. Various scented candles and lights are placed before God with continuous chanting.
The highlight of street activities is walking on burning coal beds, walking on trance, and 8-metre-long blade towers. There are plenty of food options available in vegetable cuisine and markets around the festival.
In Singapore, food tours and restaurants serve plant-based food for visitors. Yellow flags with red Chinese initials mark vegetarian food stalls at the vegetarian festival in Phuket. These stalls serve vegetarian substitutes of meat and chicken-like soybean, which fulfil the protein requirement in the body for nine days.
What are the Dos and Don’ts During the Vegetarian Festival?
Dos
- Purification of body and soul.
- White colour clothes for nine days.
- Disciplined behaviour
- Clean kitchen utensils and used by only devotees participating in the vegetarian festival.
Don’ts
- No consumption of alcohol or meat.
- People in mourning avoid participating in the festival.
- Pregnant or menstruating women do not participate in the festivities.
Those who cannot attend the ceremony are advised to watch it from home and pray in their hearts.
Conclusion
The exciting vegetarian festival worldwide is about welcoming God for nine days and worshipping. The devotees have immense belief in God. The devotees sacrifice meat and stimulants like alcohol and tobacco and lead a chaste life for nine days. Staunch devotees also inflict pain on themselves by puncturing their cheeks as they believe God will save them from the pain. The festival attracts tourists from around the world.
Hatch is located in the fertile Rio Grande River valley. The ample New Mexico sunshine and irrigation water from the Rio Grande River integrate to supply lush crops of cotton, corn, vegetables, and of course, chile peppers.
Hatch Chile Festival is a celebration of the excellent chilli around the world. This festival originated in New Mexico, USA, and has been held every year since 1970. The festival is organised through the Hatch Chile Festival Board, which is an impartial non profit organisation.
The Hatch is not truly a variety of pepper; however, it is a term used to explain peppers of numerous varieties grown in the Hatch, New Mexico area. The variations are given names which include Joe Parker, Sandia, Big Jim, and others. These peppers are grown in southern New Mexico across the tiny city of Hatch, called the Chile Capital of the World. The Hatch Chile Festival has become an occasion that has attracted over 30,000 visitors from all around the United States.
The Hatch Chile Festival
The highlight of the Fall Chile harvest season is the Hatch Chile Festival, in which the specific virtues of this prized nearby crop are showcased in each conceivable form of culinary treatment. Hatch Valley, New Mexico, is known for precise soil and developing situations that contribute a taste to nearby chiles that are going far beyond the heat it can produce.
That taste makes Hatch chiles a highly-sought item through discerning foodies throughout the nation. The competition has been held since the 1970s when a group of New Mexico citizens decided to have a good time with their love for Hatch chiles by hosting an occasion that could convey human beings together to enjoy their loved dish.
The Hatch Chile Festival attracts almost 40,000 visitors from all around the US. Visitors can sample a huge variety of famed chile recipes, watch the crowning of the chile festival queen, and be part of the celebration at the party of our most well-known crop. The occasion additionally features chile ristra contests, meal booths, artisan, and a carnival. Located approximately 180 miles outside of Albuquerque on Interstate 25, it makes a superb day experience in celebration of one of the herbal wonders of New Mexico.
About The Hatch Chile Festival 2021
Where
The celebration of this Hatch Chile Festival 2021 was held in the Village of Hatch, NM. Festivities were ongoing throughout Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend in Hatch, NM. Hatch Chile Festival 2021 starts at about 9 AM each day.
Parking
Parking is in and around Hatch High School. There is signage to direct you there. At Hatch Chile Festival 2021, there was a $10 cost to park your vehicle. That cost will help to keep the Festival going for people’s enjoyment.
What to Expect
Hatch Chile Festival 2021 was held in the Village. With restaurants, food vendors, chile roasting, entertainment, all doors were thrown open to welcome visitors to Hatch, NM – The Chile Capital of the World.
About The Hatch Festival 2022
Hatch Festival 2022 will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the festival. This year, more than 100 events will be planned to commemorate this milestone. It’s also one of the most important cultural events in Chile because it allows people from all different walks of life to come together and enjoy their culture through food and music.
The Hatch Festival 2022 is a celebration of the new Chile. It is an opportunity for Chileans to gather and celebrate the country’s recent successes in innovation and technology. The Hatch Festival 2022 is a celebration of the Hatch green chile that has been grown in New Mexico.
The festival is organised by the Hatch Chile Commission, which promotes the use of Hatch chiles and their distinctive flavour. It is difficult to decide if the Parade or the Carnival is extra fun! The Hatch Chile Festival is a 4-days event that features all sorts of your favourite carnival rides. It is open Friday through Sunday, and it is the perfect place to spend time with family and friends. One of the most popular activities at the festival is the Chile Rodeo, which features bull riding and roping with chile-slinging. Roasting and eating.
Hatch History
Born from the Santa Fe Railroad Company extension in 1880, Hatch, New Mexico, started out as an adobe publishing workplace and a railroad flag station. Named after General Edward Hatch, Commander of the Southwest military, the city grew till a flood in 1921 destroyed some of the adobe homes built of earth and wood. The village rebuilt and continues to prosper as an agricultural community to this day. The Hatch Chile Festival started out in 1971, with only a small organisation of nearby chile growers. The early festivals had been small chile roasting festivals best and only for the Hatch community.
Conclusion
The Hatch chile festival has the sensation of a county fair; however, our favourite obsession is because of the centrepiece. There are plenty of amazing meals to be had: funnel cakes, caramel corn, roasted corn, plus many genuine Mexican offerings. There is a carnival midway for the youngsters proposing all of the traditional rides and games. The annual festival promotes the world-well-known Hatch Chile on Labour Day weekend, attracting over 30,000 visitors from across the U.S. and the world.
Hatch chile is considered the various maximum first-rate found in the world. Festival-goers pattern chile and world-well-known chile recipes. In Hatch, the Hatch Chile Festival returns on Labour Day weekend, September four and 5. This year’s festival is being prepared through the Hatch Valley Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with community members, businesses, and diverse organisations from the Hatch Valley.