The Nine Emperor Gods Festival is a nine-day Taoist celebration that occurs in the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar. It is observed in many Southeast Asian countries. The festival celebrates the Nine Emperor Gods, who are nine sons of the Father and Mother Emperor who preside over life and death. Key events during the festival include ceremonies welcoming the Nine Emperors, processions to bodies of water, devotees staying in temples and chanting prayers, and a climax on the ninth day when the emperors return home. In Thailand, the festival involves self-mutilation rituals performed by devotees in trances, intended to display devotion and have profound impacts afterwards.