The Vegetarian Festival (Tesagan Kin Je)
Over the weekend, I went out with my dear friends for a birthday celebration (Happy Birthday again!) and since it's now the "Vegetarian" Festival in Thailand, we discussed and wondered about its origins and what is this festival really for? All we know is that for a period of 9 days, people of Chinese descent in Thailand go "vegetarian" or "vegan." During this period, those participating in the festival abstain from eating meat, anything made from meat (including oil or fat), eggs, and vegetables that have strong flavours. Garlic, onions, and chives are all off limits. Even fish sauce that is used in most Thai dishes are substituted. I wonder what is this festival for? Do people in other countries celebrate this festival as much as we do here in Thailand? Everywhere I go during the 9 days of the festival, I find shops and restaurants all raising the signature yellow flag to tell me that they serve "Je" or Vegetarian food. Almost eve...