Snowflakes

[Indo-Siam]

Lately, as I have be walking around Bangkok, it has caught my eye that Bangkok has gone "over the edge" on promoting the cult of the snowflake. I can't figure out how/why Thailand would come to adopt the six-pointed snowflake - in all its many variations - so enthusiastically, as a symbol of year-end. Take a look around Central World - or at the shopping complexes along Ratchadapisek Road - or outside the Emporium - and you will see dozens of sculpted snowflakes - some of them ten meters tall, hanging from tall buildngs.

So - how did that happen? How did an icon from high northern latitudes become such a firmly entrenched symbol in Thailand? For half the earth, year-end is the start of summertime - and even in parts of the northern hemisphere that are in or near the tropics, snowflakes are not native.

So - what gives? I've spent year-end holidays in the Caribbean, and in southern Mexico - and I don't remember ever seeing snowflake decorations in public - although possibly there were snowflake ornaments on Christmas trees in hotel lobbies, and such.

Poinsettias I can understand - red flowers to mark year end. Christmas trees to make the foreign Christians feel "at home" - that might make sense.

But - SNOWFLAKES have now become ubiquitous within Thai society at year end, completely independent of the presence of foreigners.

I haven't been to Singapore, or Manila, or Bali at year-end in recent years - have they also become fixated on snowflakes as a symbol of year end?

Some marketing guy scored a bulls-eye once upon a time, unloading his 40 foot FCL of giant snowflake ornaments at Port of Bangkok. I can see his mates making fun of him:

"Right ... you're going to sell snowflake ornaments to the Thais ... yeah, that will work out great!"

I guess he had the last laugh.

I wonder what other sort of irrational mass hysteria could be monetized around here ?????????

Happy Holidays!

Cheers,

Indo-Siam

[oevna]

Poinsettias I can understand - red flowers to mark year end. Christmas trees to make the foreign Christians feel "at home" - that might make sense.

I think this part of your post hilights the source of your misunderstanding. Thailand has taken to celebrating Christmas way beyond just honoring a holiday celebrated by a minority of its population. They do it whole-hog, presents, Santa, his reindeer, snowflakes and all, more as a commercial event than a religious holiday.

Stop trying to make sense of it, there is none to be made! Just enjoy the absurdity.

And Happy Holidays!

[sanook2me]

Poinsettias I can understand - red flowers to mark year end. Christmas trees to make the the foreign Christians feel "at home" - that might make sense.

been here to long just had to google Christmas with Christians...

Wow some old magical story about a boy a barn and some other stuff.... couldn't be @rsed to read it all...

There was stupid old big pink nose me thinking it was for Central to sell off last seasons stock.....

They have snow in Bangkok..you need to go to Dream world in the snow dome..where you can slide on a ice hill too..(4 years ago...is it still open??)

Please don't go if farang double pricing makes you angry or just come back and make a new post that hasn't been done before about double pricing

[TEFLMike]

If you run out of Snow over there, I will send you a bucketful over.

The UK is covered in the stuff brrrrrrrr

Enjoy your Christmas, one and all.

[Moonrakers]

Even Christmas in the West is no longer what it was intended to be and hasn't been for a long time. The Thai's are just jumping on the band wagon of an annual commercial event, that's all.

[LennyW]

I vaguely remember going to an "event" on third road in Pattaya at chrismas time about 96 or 97, well, they had snow machines, blowers the lot, the place was fkn freezin!!! Some show, never seen it since though?