Christmas in Thailand
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Those terrible Christmas carols, sung by shrill children's voices, just at the right pitch. The worst part is that even at 30 degrees Celsius, I can't get them out of my head. 'You better watch out, you better not shout'…No: I'm dreaming Thailand not from a White Christmas and 'dsjingel bens' comes out of my ears too. And then those saleswomen with those ridiculous red and white hats.
I can still have the Christmas tree at the entrance of the mall, although I secretly hope it will flicker. And what that obese and alcoholic booze organ is doing there in that sleigh (!), is me (and many ภาษาไทย) a complete mystery, surrounded by plastic fir trees that it, were they really, in this tropical climate would go immediately.
Fortunately, the world continues to turn and the end of artificial revelry is in sight. The gold colored garland with 'Happy New Year', through ภาษาไทย often pronounced 'Happy New Mia' (happy new concubine…) can stick around until mid-February for the Chinese New Year and then into mid-April, on the occasion of the Thai New Year. And the Thai government just handing out extra days off, good for a few hundred extra deaths in traffic.
A few months later, the malls once again treat us to 'Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year'. I wish that for all of you, without reservation. On one condition: don't sing!…..
– Reposted message –
With all due respect, I always have such a hard time with these annually recurring critical clichés towards the Christmas period.
Apparently it's cool to talk (fairly) negatively about the Christmas spirit, when one rarely does that about a birthday being celebrated, or Carnival, or Halloween (to which we as Western Europeans have no historical connection whatsoever), and so many others ( much more forced) parties.
I say this without criticism and see as an explanation that not everyone like me as a child has very fond memories (in a family context) of that Christmas period.
If we then also take into account that we in Western Europe are somewhat pushed aside by a certain religious culture, which I find incompatible with our Western enlightened values and norms, and which sometimes find our Christmas tree or our Black Pete disturbing and would rather get rid of it. well then sometimes I would prefer to walk around with a large crucifix around my neck as a counterweight (and I am totally incredulous, I say very clearly).
But litter pollution is typically Western!
Christmas is a nostalgic atmosphere for me, including the music, the presents, and the family togetherness…
Finally, I would never want to experience Christmas in Thai or Australian temperatures, rather in freezing temperatures and therefore a real White Christmas with the music of Bing Crosby!
Merry Christmas to all, from a total infidel!
I can follow the thoughts of the writer of the submitted article well, and with regard to the whole kitsch en tra la la, I also have the feeling whether people still know the real meaning of this party at all.
Not that I mind that most Thais don't understand this celebration, after all, most tourists don't know about their celebrations either.
The real sense of the celebration, as in the rest of the world, is overrun with a commercial frenzy, which in many countries begins months before the celebration.
In the Netherlands, unlike in many other countries, where the Christmas preparations already start at the beginning of December, although we also see that many people are shifting presents more and more on Christmas, we still have the St Nicholas feast.
Many, under the influence of the often exaggerated and daily repetitions of commercial bullshit, almost feel guilty if they haven't found the right gift for their family at the beginning of November.
Suddenly, weeks before this Christian feast, you see people and institutions who suddenly, and usually only at Christmas, think about the needy and hungry fellow human beings. While most of these distressed people fall into the same fate after the feast, and hope must that they survive their suffering until next year.
That's why I think, also because most of us don't have it so bad as they often think, that we can quietly turn back the commercial a bit, so that we can also give to those who really need it during the rest of the year.
Everyone a merry, or happy Christmas in the sense it was actually meant to be.
Dear,
I too can only say that my first Christmas in Thailand feels a bit strange… Usually always together with my brothers and sisters, with my parents, with my children and grandchildren. My nephews and nieces… .. together about 36 people. An ever-recurring party with good food, laughter, discussions, presents, New Year's letters from the godchildren, etc…. Yes, I admit I will miss it. But what will be; I have put 100 Christmas singles on the jukebox as usual and to the delight of the neighbors we play nice Christmas music every day from 10/12 to 8/01. And to meet everyone's taste, there are quite a few different artists and genres; ranging from Abba, Alabama, the Alarm, Dread Zeppelin, Alvin Stardust, Angel, Blume, Bobby Helms, Bon Jovi, Boney M., Brenda Lee, Band Aid, Beach Boys, The Beatles, Bing Crosby, The Blue Diamonds, Brain Wilson , Bruce Sprinsteen, Bryan Adams, Buck Owens, Captain Sensible, The Chipmunks, The Confetti's, Connie Francis, The Crystals, The Ronettes, Dana, The Eagles, Eddie Cochran, Elvis Presley, Elastic Oz Band , Elmo & Patsy, David Bowie & Bing Crosby, Derrek Roberts, Dora Bryan, The Drifters, Dwight Yoakam, Enya, The Fans , Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Gary Glitter, Gene Autry, George Harrison, George Thoregood, The Goons, Greg Lake, The Hepstars, Hermans Hermits, Holly & The Ivy's, Jim Reeves, Jive Bunny, Joan Baez, Joe Dowell, Johnny Cash, Jona Lowie, José Feliciano, Larry Norman, Mud , Murray Head, New KIds On THe Block, Otis Redding, Paul & Paula, Paul Anka, The Pretenders, Prince, Rick Dees, The Ravers, Queen, Ricky Zahnd, Royal Guardsmen, Shawn Colvin, The Hooters, Shew Wooley, Showaddywaddy, Simon & Garfunkel, Sinead O'Conner, Slade, The Sonics, The Supremes, Tiny Tim, The Trashmen, Urbanus, Wham, The White Strpes, Will Tura, Roy Orbison, Yvonne Keeley
& Scott Fitzgerald, Shakin Stevens, The Springfiels, Squeeze, Stevie Wonder, Wizzard, Blues Magoos, Yogi Yorgesson, Stan Freberg, James Brown, Jeremy Faith, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards, Kenny & Dolly, The Kinks, Paul McCartney, to Darlene Love and the Plastic Ono Band. Rock, punk, country, gospel, pop, tradionals, soul, R&B, novelties, glam rock, oldies, rockabilly, new wave and easy listening or new beat; you will find it all. Everyone is invited to come and push up some pictures, Christmas Day from 13.00 pm in Bangsaray (near Pattaya), I will provide drinks and you will provide the atmosphere and snacks…. red hat is not obligatory, but it's still nice..... I'm already putting on my red cowboy hat..... greetings André
Ps: TO the editors, I always try to send a few photos but I can't. I wanted to send some pictures of the jukebox and the selection labels on the jukebox.
The White Christmas may come from the USA, but snow never falls in the southern states such as Florida and California.
What everyone apparently needs to learn more is cultural sensitivity and respect for other people and the things they believe in and what they don't believe in. In my previous university we celebrated Christmas and Easter, but also Eid. There were prayer rooms for the major religions in the world because we also had students and teachers with those backgrounds (as a Christian university).
It's not surprising that the Thais don't know much about Christmas. But which expat knows a lot about the background of the numerous Buddhist festival days? Christmas in Thailand is just as different for Western expats as Macha Pucha is for Thai expats in the Netherlands and Belgium.
I actually think it has something. And all the Christmas decorations, I love it. They do everything to please the tourists and I appreciate that. Nice is not it. If I didn't like it I think I would just go to the slightly less touristy side of Thailand. Everything stands and falls with your own choices.
On the other hand, I wonder if the Thai can appreciate that we collectively have Buddha statues of the Xenos in our house.
We don't mean it all bad.
It is a mystery to me why in the heart of Isaan girls walk around with Christmas hats and Christmas carols are sung 24/24 in the department stores. 99% of the visitors to department stores in Isaan don't know what Christmas is all about. No one understands a word of the songs.
Thailand is therefore the only Buddhist country where attention is paid to Christmas.
Christmas is a purely Christian event
In Bangkok I can still somewhat understand that, but in the Isaan?? It's nothing more than flat-floor commerce.
It is as if in our countryside we would suddenly start throwing water at each other with Song Kran.
Don't you do that then? I have been living in Thailand for 13 years now. Before with my Thai wife 25 years in the Antwerp Kempen. There we celebrated Song Kran every year with many others. Since we live in Thailand I don't participate anymore but we do celebrate Christmas here. Being different from the others is fun.
Terrible, ridiculous, artificial joy: just 3 disapprovals with which the writer of the article in 2018 already showed that he had nothing to do with the Thai Christmas. The question then arises: what does he do there? Then stay away from that commercial. Because that's what Thai Christmas is all about. Of course, Thailand does not have the same Catholic/Protestant Christian tradition as, for example, the Netherlands. So why should the Thai understand and celebrate Christmas? As if we understand the Buddhist Magha Puja or the Islamic Lailat ul Baraat? The Dutch don't even know what Easter and Pentecost mean anymore.
I also wish Hans Bos a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. On one condition: looks so sour as of 2020
What a wonderful whining from the author. If he doesn't like it, just let him say it out loud to himself when he's on the toilet. I don't need to know all that. Just let everyone who likes it enjoy it, everyone who doesn't like it, don't look at it, and stop whining about what you don't like, go write about what you like and find positive.
Ah.. the winter solstice party is already so old... Ditto the summer solstice party...Fred Flintstone already celebrated it. Entire circles of large stones (including Stonehenge) have even been dragged together to make it clear to the good believers/farmers/hunters that show day. The winter solstice simply includes snow and fire (lights), eating (meat) because probably the last time until spring so partying.
That the Christians in the West have claimed that Germanic festival, and the Christians in the East with Roman, Greek and Egyptian traditions, is nothing more than uniting the "old" with the "new" religion.
Christmas atmosphere in the shops is just as commercial as with us in the Netherlands, trying to create an atmosphere in which people buy more.
I stay, just outside the city, under the smoke of Ubon airport. Here is 1 Christmas tree, with us, under which there is a present every year on December 25 for the neighboring children up to the age of 15. They don't know what Christmas means, but they love the tree with balls and lights and that's what matters to me. Not to force anything on us, but to bring fun to the children. I think we could use that in today's world. I wish everyone here a very merry and merry Christmas.