Festivals
Vegetarian Festival is a traditional Chinese
festival held in Trang around October every year on a full moon night. Thais of
Chinese heritage would turn vegetarian (no consumption of meat and certain kinds
of vegetables) and dress in white for 9 days and nights in the belief that it
brings them bring good fortune and to make merit. Throughout the 9 days and nights,
the spirit in the “medium” would go out and give blessing
(some call it ‘ touring’) to households where there are offerings
set out in front. The procession bearing the medium must light thousands of firecrackers,
creating a deafening din. The medium would also perform supernatural feats to
show that the spirit is in him. Cake Festival derives from the
fact that Trang people are well known for making delicious cakes. This is particularly
true for the villagers of Ban Lam Phu Ra where making cakes dates back generations.
The cakes of Trang have no frosting and have several flavours like orange, coffee,
three-flavoured, etc. The festival is scheduled for every August. The cakes make
ideal gifts. Trang Roast Pork Festival is a tourism promotion
activity of Trang that is held every September. The festival features the mouth-watering
roast pork made with Trang’s special recipe. The pork skin is crispy, the
meat is tender, and it is delicious due to a process by which the pig is fermented
with herbs then roasted whole on a specially made grill. Trang’s roast pork
is sold daily and goes well with morning coffee or can be a dish at banquets.
Taphao Shell Festival is aimed at promoting the conservation of nature
and the environment. The festival is held at Pak Meng Beach every November, which
features a contest of gathering Taphao shells. Trang Products Fair
is held annually during April 2nd-13th where the fair
displays a combination of the culture, traditions and provincial products to be
sold in stores, contests, and pageantry. Annual
King’s Birthday and Red Cross Fair is held during December 5th-15th
every year. There are various types of entertainment and shops selling a variety
of products. It is the grandest festival of Trang and of southern Thailand. |