Vegetarians are often subjected to snide insinuations of effeteness, whether it’s ‘veg’ (clean) jokes or the gentle epithet of ‘ghaas-poos’ (grass-eater). For many years now, the island residents of Phuket, Thailand, have set out to change that image.

The Phuket Vegetarian Festival puts Thaipusam to shame with a festival-long conversion to vegetarianism and what looks like a competition for the most bizarre cheek piercings possible. Fire extinguished? Hookah pipe? Giant push-pin? You’ll find it in Phuket.

The Vegetarian Festival started about 150 years ago… Phuket was hit with an epidemic of a fatal disease and the loss of many lives. The Chinese performers were also falling ill.

Eventually, they realised they had forgotten to pay homage to the Nine Emperor Gods… The next year the Chinese followed the tradition of refraining from eating meat, drinking alcoholic drinks, engaging in sex, quarreling, telling lies or killing. The epidemic ceased, and, every year since, the people of Phuket have continued to celebrate the festival. [Link]

See more photos.