Christmas, New Years Holiday'ing in Thailand (Year 1)

First of all, I want to apologize for my apparent hiatus. In my defense, I will say that I had a visitor from December 24-January 6, January 11-18 I was in Bangkok for our Mid-Service Conference, and most recently, I attended a friends English Camp on January 22-23.


Second order of business, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM AND DAD!!!

Thirdly, a full disclosure of American Holidays in America vs. American Holidays in Thailand.

General Reflections...


Holidays in Thailand are mostly religious or nationalistic, much like they are in America. Emphasis on materialism and gift giving, however, during these times is not even close to what it has become in the U.S. Significant holiday events usually consist of family gatherings, feasting, parties (think traditional dance, merriment, and karaoke), paying respects, going to the temple, and merit making. Many of these themes are also present in one way or another during U.S. holiday observances.
During the recent holidays, I’ve realized more so that the celebration of holidays and the option to go home and relax are privileges that some cannot afford. For the taxi driver and the factory worker, the bar tender, the single mother of two, the unemployed, the homeless, the prostitute, the bus driver, the waitress working 100 + hours a week to make ends meet, holidays are special only because the business is better. With these observations in mind, gift giving becomes less import than treating your fellow human being with kindness, patience, and compassion. This holiday season, if anything at all, my eyes were more opened to the circumstances around me and how I relate. Perhaps, I was able to have a special celebration for Christmas and New Years at the expense of those working long hours at the airport (making possible my New Years Eve flight to Chiang Mai), the waitress serving my New Years Day breakfast feast, and the song taeo driver who brought me to the mall so I could enjoy a New Years Day film. And how did I interact with these people during this time? With kindness, patience, and compassion? Empathy? Did I inadvertently kick the gift horse in the mouth? Hopefully not. Gratitude is something that stares you in the eye when you start to notice the circumstances around you and that those of others are not the same as yours.

My point is that maybe the holiday spirit is only a concept that manifests only in action and treatment of others. Furthermore, shouldn’t we practice the ‘holiday spirit’ every day? How can we fully enjoy holidays and gatherings and presents and possession and good fortune without being humane to others? If anything, I have gratitude not only for my own circumstance, for my continual good health and fortune that allows this experience to happen, but also for the circumstance of other’s whom I directly interact with that continually enrich my life.



Now for more specific and trivial observations...

1. Celebrating the New Year as a Western and Gregorian tradition.

According to traditional Western calendars, the current year is 2010 A.D. From my own understanding, the year, 2010 A.D. comes from a Biblical origin through the ancient Romans, with strong ties to Christianity. How did January 1 become the first day of the year? See New Year's Day for more information.

Thailand, as you know, is a Buddhist country. So, how do the Western Calendar and New Year fit in with the Buddhist concept of time? Well, the actual year in Thailand, which corresponds to Buddhist origin and astrological movements, is 2553. Traditionally, the Thai New Year occurred in April during which time the year ended and the New Year begun—falling on a day according to the completion of lunar/ astrological cycles. At some point, given Western influence, Thailand officially changed the date at which the Buddhist New Year changed so it would occur on January 1 instead of during April. So whereas, the Gregorian New Year is celebrated in Thailand, the real Thai New Year called Son Kran occurring in April, is of much more significant observation and symbolic importance. See also: Thai New Yearr.

It is interesting to see how Eastern traditions and cultures have changed via Western influence—but also how they have managed to preserve important customs. What is more, how we strongly relate to our own worldview and concept of time based on what we are taught by the existing culture and history. To my Thai friends, our Gregorian New Year is a fun day but nothing extremely significant. Whereas, The Thai New Year is extremely momentous and it’s got nothing to do with countdowns, party hats, champagne, or Auld Lang Syne.

2. More people know who Santa is than you would think—especially children.

Yes, Santa/Christmas culture has permeated even to the remote corners of Thailand, it appears. The first time I saw him was as an enormous cutout at the nearby Tesco Lotus (think Wal-Mart) Then, in Bangkok, of course you see him popping up everywhere accompanied by Jingle Bells or Santa Baby. All this, by the way, makes me wonder if Santa Claus and Christmas have become more of marketing tools than anything else...
Especially given that not everyone is clear on the true origin of this bowl-full-of-jelly-bellied jolly joe. In fact, I’ve been inquired on more than one occasion if Santa Claus was in fact Jesus’s father. Don’t worry, I confirmed a negative on that one. It’s understandable how people can get confused though. When the exposure of American/Western culture is limited to Christianity, blonde hair and blue eyes, white skin, Santa Claus, Michael Jackson, white bread, cold weather, and infinite prosperity, the facts blur a little.

3. Christmas and other America holidays are really just ordinary days in Thailand.

I was lucky to spend Christmas in Bangkok with a special visitor from home and a few of my friends. My visitor was certainly glad to be away from the snowstorms and desolation of winter in Iowa. And even though we tried to make Christmas special in our small group with a nice dinner and celebration of sorts, more or less it felt like any other day I had spent in Bangkok.
Thanksgiving was a bit more special for Peace Corps Volunteers because most of us made the trek into Bangkok to gather at the beloved, American steakhouse-esque establishment, Sizzler. It was really more a reunion of friends than a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Given the great time the Volunteers had on our make-shift Thanksgiving celebration made me realize that it’s not so much the day but it’s the rich company you keep and the wonderful time you have together that can make any given day special and holiday-worthy.

4. Starbucks Thailand attempts the Christmas theme but lacks in eggnog lattes.

It was surprising to see the propagation of Christmas-themed everything (from holiday coffee blends and lattes, to background music, to coffee paraphernalia) at Starbucks in Thailand. Starbuck isn’t everywhere in Thailand by the way. Most bigger cities like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, even Khon Khaen have Starbucks. Not that I go to Starbuck weekly or even monthly but, I did happen to notice this seasonal change. If a standardized product and experience is the aim, then the marketer inside me says they have succeeded. That is, aside from the eggnog. Oh how to explain the phenomena and wonderfulness of eggnog to Thai people? I was once a connoisseur of eggnog and eggnog lattes (it’s an acquired taste I know) and I am sorry to report that eggnog and eggnog-derived drinks do not exist in Thailand. Unless you’re a veteran farang of the area and you know how to make it or import it.



Coming Soon: Vacationing in Chiang Mai, MSC (Mid-Service Conference), and Reflections on reaching the 1-year mark