The Nine Emperor Gods Festival is coming, hence the question of being ready to eat vegetarian (chi zhai/sek zhai/吃斋). This festival which is celebrated in South-East Asia is synonymous with a bland vegetarian diet and in Southern Thailand, Gin je (กินเจ) or literally ‘eat vegetarian’ is synonymous with the festival.
Whilst most people associate the festival with the first nine days of the ninth lunisolar month, the festival actually takes off on the eve on the ninth month (last day of the eight lunisolar month) and concludes on the 10th day of the ninth month. Some who participate in this event would have had started their vegetarian diet a few days before the festival, so as to be ‘clean’ when inviting the deity which happens on the eve of the festival or in the wee hours of the first day of the festival.
Conversely, after nine days of festivities, the flag pole and the armies of heavenly guardians called to protect the temple and devotees during the festival would be sent off on the tenth day of the festival, one day after the last day of the Nine Emperor Gods festival.
This year the first day of the festival falls on 29 September 2019 and the ninth day falls on the 7 October 2019. The most obvious signs that a temple is celebrating the festival are temple flags being erected on roads leading to the temple grounds as well as vegetarian food stalls being erected. These stalls that sell suitable bland vegetarian food are usually marked with yellow banners displaying the word zhai/斋 or su/素; or in Southern Thailand, je/เจ.
Conversely, after nine days of festivities, the flag pole and the armies of heavenly guardians called to protect the temple and devotees during the festival would be sent off on the tenth day of the festival, one day after the last day of the Nine Emperor Gods festival.
This year the first day of the festival falls on 29 September 2019 and the ninth day falls on the 7 October 2019. The most obvious signs that a temple is celebrating the festival are temple flags being erected on roads leading to the temple grounds as well as vegetarian food stalls being erected. These stalls that sell suitable bland vegetarian food are usually marked with yellow banners displaying the word zhai/斋 or su/素; or in Southern Thailand, je/เจ.
- When (does it start): 29th Sept 2019 to 7th October 2019 (the eve falls on 28th Sept)
- Where (can I see this festival): Nine Emperor Gods temples in South East Asia
- What (to do): Eat vegetarian, see mediums perform rituals, watch parades, fire walking etc.
See also my other post about this year's Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Festival:
