Nong Nooch Gardens prepares for Mothers Day parade

PATTAYA: -- Her Majesty the Queen of Thailand celebrates her birthday on 12th August and as part of the celebrations Nong Nooch gardens located in Jomtien will hold their annual Queen’s parade led by a group of elephants and their offspring. On Monday Morning they held a mock-up of the parade to fine-tune the plans for the day itself. As part of the ceremony, the baby elephants must pay their respects to Her Majesty by placing garlands on a cenotaph.

Full story with picturesHERE

-- Pattaya One

2010-08-09

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

Another perversion of our traditions. Mother's day has nothing to do with mothers! It's real name is 'Mothering Sunday' , the one Sunday a year when you should make an effort to attend your MOTHER CHURCH, the church you were baptised in. This special day started a few hundred years ago in England when so many people had moved away from their home villages and towns to work in city factories during the industrial revolution. I realise that the Thais are not alone in their misunderstanding, it was the greeting card makers, flower sellers and chocolate pedlars in the United States of America who either through lack of education, or just pure greed distorted the meaning of this Christian celebration. They invented 'Father's Day' too, to increase their profits. Incidentely, until the beginning of the last century, Santa Claus or Father Christmas was always shown wearing animal skins. Coca Cola first showed him in the red and white robes during an advertising campaign. That too seems to have stuck!