Chinese New Year in Nathon

Chinese New Year in Nathon

Going around the island today, with my mother, doing some shopping, visiting my cousin who runs the Samui Beach Resort in Lamai, we stumbled over the Chinese New Year procession in Lamai and Nathon.

Altar loaded with food and good luck charms

I was under the impression the celebrations would be tomorrow, so we were very lucky to run in to them when they were in full swing whilst passing through Nathon.

Table loaded with food, including two big roasted pig's

A few shops in Nathon had tables loaded with food outside of their houses, waiting for the procession to pass by their house so celebrations could be held.

Another table loaded with food, this includes a big pig's head

The celebrations includes the well known dragons but also people with their cheeks pierced and at this occasion, who were slashing their tongues with razor blades. The videos at the bottom of the page are not for the faint harted!

Altar, loaded with food and massive amounts of fire crackers

Procession participant with pierced cheeks and ears

The piercing was a surprise to me. I've witnessed this in Hat Yai and reported about this event in a post about the Vegetarian festival and in Phuket the vegetarian festival is also a big event each year, where my fellow blogger Jamie in Phuket reports about on a regular base.

Part of the procession

After having lived on Koh Samui since slightly over 12 years, I wasn't aware that this was happening in Nathon. Although on a lot smaller scale than in Phuket, it was rather impressive.

Two guys in trance

The participants go in trance, start to shake over their body and at some stage they pierce some steel through their cheeks. Below is a video of somebody doing that.

During the procession people look after the persons that have piercings and make sure that they're ok. The amazing part is that after the piercings are removed, no obvious scars are visible.

Before you watch the videos below, a warning that they contain slightly disturbing images of people voluntarily hurting themselves and blood can be observed

A person slashing his tongue with razor blades

In trance

Piercing of a cheek

Next year when on Samui during Chinese New Year, it's well worth checking these festivities out.

Camille