Cap Go Meh, piercings as offerings

Cap Go Meh, piercings as offerings

Cap Go Meh is a festival that marks the last day of the Chinese New Year celebrations.
In Singkawang, Indonesian Borneo, the Chinese and the Dayak shamans join forces in a collective cleansing ritual.
During a parade they get possessed by gods or supernatural spirits and they get their faces and body pierced with sharp objects, carrying them through their skin as offerings.
Even though it is not uncommon in Asia to find religious celebrations that involve piercings, what makes Cap go Meh so special is the mix of different cultures.
In this lecture, I will talk about the origins and history of this ritual and my personal experience in Sinkawang in 2018.

by: Beto Rea
Slot 14 (Sunday 11:00-am-12:30pm)
90 minutes /  english