People Are Now Giving Bubble Tea as a Holy Offering in Thai Buddhist Temples

From tapioca theme parks to a girl who was so dedicated to boba tea that she dressed up like a giant cup of it, we know Asians worship their bubble tea. But now, some of them have taken things to the next level by making bubble tea the newest holy offering at Buddhist temples in Thailand. Apparently, fruits and flowers just don’t cut it any longer for some Thai Buddhist devotees, who went all out with a whole range of the Taiwanese tea-based drink presented to the gods. In a picture that has now gone viral on social media, endless varieties—including cheese tea, Taiwanese milk tea, Hokkaido fresh milk, taro milk tea, fruit tea and even a classic Starbucks cup—are set up in a row on a table in front of a deity’s idol.

At temples in Thailand, it is a general custom to make some divine offering, something people often do as a promise for their prayers to be fulfilled. Usually, devotees stick to Nam Daeng, a bright red soda, but probably, as pointed out by one Twitter user, "The gods also drink bubble tea. They're bored of Nam Daeng.”

Meanwhile, replies to the trending tweet feature people talking about why they decided to bestow the gods with bubble tea—from a girl who gave five cups of bubble tea to a Lord Ganesha idol for granting her wish to another doing so for getting the job she gunning for.

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