Thailand’s Ghost Festival kicks off at the end of June — featuring public displays of “male genitalia”?

▲ As colorful as Brazil’s Carnival, the “Thai Ghost Face Festival” features giant ghost face masks that are just as startling as those in other countries’ ghost festivals. (Photo / TUCHONG / AP)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

It’s not just China or the West that has ghost festivals. In Thailand’s northeastern province of Loei, a very special “Ghost Face Festival” is held for three consecutive days every year between May, June, and July. Every local resident dons a large ghost mask and parades through the streets, with men even openly showcasing “giant genitalia”! This year’s “Ghost Face Festival” will also take place on June 27.

The “Ghost Face Festival” is locally known as Phi Ta Khon (pronounced similarly to “pee-ta-kon”), meaning “fierce ghost faces.” It is held annually in Dan Sai District, Loei Province. According to the Thai lunar calendar, the date is chosen each year by local spirit mediums, so there is no fixed date, but it usually takes place between May and July.

During this lively celebration that blends elements of Western Halloween and Brazilian Carnival, both adults and children wear large monster masks, dress up as ghosts and ghouls, and parade through the streets dancing and playing pranks on others, causing screams and excitement all around.In addition to dressing as ghosts, men also carry wooden carvings of male genitalia painted red at the tips. Some cheeky men even playfully “offer” them to girls, scaring many into shrieks. While such pranks would normally be frowned upon, they are tolerated during the Ghost Face Festival..

%Ji Jia Xie Yu Zhi She Qiao Xia Mi Nuo Mo? Jiu Shi Xing Yi De Mo.... (Photo / from Wikimedia Commons)

Aside from various-shaped ghosts “dancing wildly” in the streets, there are also a series of float parades, traditional song and dance performances, and Buddhist rituals. Leading the parade are the “Ghost King” and “Ghost Queen.” The parade eventually returns to the local temple, where the ghost masks used in the procession are gathered and burned on a boat, floating down the Mae Nam River. At night, all residents gather to listen to monks chant scriptures, marking the official end of the Ghost Face Festival.

In recent years, the “Ghost Face Festival” has gained increasing fame and attracts many foreign tourists to join in the fun by dressing as ghosts. However, while celebrating, it’s important to observe certain taboos: do not dress as a ghost after sunset, do not do so alone, and pregnant women should not participate. The “2014 Ghost Face Festival” will be grandly held from June 27 to 29.

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