Commercialization of symbolic cultural celebrations

A Thai vegetarian festival emphasizing the merit of not killing animals for food is now sponsored by two giant film manufacturers. Originally mediums attended the festival to demonstrate their supernatural powers by sticking pins into themselves, but to add spectacle for tourists local people are now paid to push sharpened bicycle handlebars and other metal pieces into their bodies. Traditional festivals and religious events linked to the season and the farming calendar have similarly been turned into rehearsed commercial shows with a focus on beauty parades.