Sure, there are many childless people here who ignore Christmas. One of the joys of living in a Buddhist country is the ability to escape the commotion of Christmas. But what about those of us with children? Would it be a mistake to deprive our children of the Christmas experience because we are a bunch of old humbug curmudgeons hiding behind our Isaan wives' Buddhist apron strings?

I don't do nothing at Christmas

Then you must do something, yes?

Sure, there are many childless people here who ignore Christmas. One of the joys of living in a Buddhist country is the ability to escape the commotion of Christmas. But what about those of us with children? Would it be a mistake to deprive our children of the Christmas experience because we are a bunch of old humbug curmudgeons hiding behind our Isaan wives' Buddhist apron strings?

Based on this post hadn't you better ask your isaan wife ?

Xmas is just another ordinary day. But Boy o Boy in i week it's Pii Mai. Bring it on!!!!

I deleted Xmas from my diary a couple of years ago, its liberating. Id happily delete Xmas every year. In Thailand you don't need to do the Xmas thing if you've got kids, you have an acceptable opt out

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This year i decided with the wife not to bother to put the tree ect up ,our son(who has lived many years in the UK ) 20 years old comes home from uni and immediatly starts ,"wheres the tree,and decorations ,we must put them up" so its christmas in out house this year again ,merry xmas all.

Nothing here, just another day, school for the kids as usual.

Nah, I love it. Me and my six year old daughter do the Christmas tree decs and look forward to Santas visit, she knows some carols

and looks to the Turkey dinner. Why not! It's great fun and I love her to bits........................

Been here 10 years been to 4 christmas day parties they seem to be holding them less and less around where i live. So like others it is just another day but when new year comes it is all on.

Don't do children !!!

IMO Christmas is far to often used as a tool to bribe and manipulate children creating a great expectation of a pay off on the 25th. I tell my children, everyday is a holiday in our family.

Depriving Children of Christmas,is taking away part of their childhood. And just because you are a miserable old skinflint.

And did you ever read Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" ?

... or try to get a copy of Scrooged! with Bill Murray (trailer):

On a smaller scale, but we do Christmas. It's the most effective form of emotional blackmail we have over our kids, I'm not giving that up.

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I think that it is important to share many different things with our children. I have never been one to celebrate any holiday but I do go into great detail sharing with my daughter what christmas is and what has become.

I don't do a tree or the other western traditions, but we do our own traditions. Christmas is about sharing and thinking of others, so why wouldn't you do it?

Don't do children !!!

I should hope not.......

I think that it is important to share many different things with our children. I have never been one to celebrate any holiday but I do go into great detail sharing with my daughter what christmas is and what has become.

I don't do a tree or the other western traditions, but we do our own traditions. Christmas is about sharing and thinking of others, so why wouldn't you do it?

christmas is about greed

No, I don't do Christmas here.

Thais celebrate New Year so our celebrations and gift giving to the children are kept until then. We have a few decorations up and some fairy lights but again all to do with the party we are hosting on New Years Eve. Saying that, until my wife and I moved into the village there was no presents given or recieved at all.

Birthdays were not even celebrated or in any way acknowledged. Some of the neices and nephews were not even aware of their birthday.

I see that some say that schools here in Thailand do not close for Christmas yet the schools here in Prachonchai are closed today and tomorow.

Two stepdaughters. Just another day.

Happy to be away from that mess. Don't even like to go to anyplace I'll get bombarded with songs.

Bah! Humbug!

I'm in a bit of a weird situation. Personally, I think Christmas, certainly for what it is meant to be, a Christian festival, lost all that decades ago. It is now for me a commercial hunting ground, where many are forced to participate to comply with the societies that surround them. But that is just me.

Here in Thailand, the tree is up, the turkey is in the oven as I type this and the kids and a couple of close friends will be coming home this afternoon for the meal and a bit of entertainment.............. Little bit hard to be 'Ba Humbug' with all this going on.

But this is all from the Thai side with very little input from me. I have nothing against parties or against excuses for parties, which puts me in a dilemma about my thoughts for Christmas.

Still, while the thoughts are with me, may I take this opportunity to wish all the readers a very Merry Christmas and a more important Happy New Year from myself, Mrs. Chrisinth, the kids and Fa Sai & Phayu (our Siberians)

I just did it for the first time in 6 years and it was worth every baht spent seeing the excitement in m kids eyes and the enjoyment they got from putting the tree up to opening their presents this morning.

I made a mistake not doing it before because seeing the joy on my 6 year olds face was priceless.

Two stepdaughters. Just another day.

Happy to be away from that mess. Don't even like to go to anyplace I'll get bombarded with songs.

Bah! Humbug!

Merry Christmas!

Jesus died a long time ago and god doesn't exist, so what was christmas about?

I don't do nothing at Christmas

" I DON'T DO NOTHING AT CHRISTMAS"-??

IF YOU DON'T DO NOTHING, MEANS YOU DO SOMETHING, SO PLEASE ENLIGHTEN US AS TO WHAT YOU DO!

Been in LOS for 9 years, this is the first Christmas we've celebrated. I think my "just turned" 4 year old can really understand/enjoy it for the first time and also my mother is here...she loves Christmas. watching him open his presents this morning was very special thing. Personally I have a lot of problems with Christmas and even more with Christians, (I come from a Catholic family) my favorite decoration is a stuffed Santa crucified on a cross, but if I dig into my memories I frickin loved it when I was a kid.

I can't deprive my son of that. I think you have to put away your personal baggage and take the trip with them otherwise your a bit of a hypocrite and selfish in the overall experience of Christmas your life.

It's a metaphor for the rest of your parenting.

Christmas has become a commercial joke with the focus on material things. Not "celebrating" or participating in this

is far from deprivation. I've had some wonderful Christmas's, especially those where I've totally surprised either my children or

others with something never expected, but also not bought. The obligation that Christmas has become is not something I would want

to impose on others. I've hated those days shopping and balancing gifts for each of the kids just to keep it fair. Or having to get something for

someone just because they gave us something last year. Christmas is far from important in my eyes, but more of a lesson of compassion for those that get caught up in the herd mentality and conditioning, something opposite of what Jesus supposedly taught, materialism and lust.

Just sayin'

angiud, on 24 Dec 2013 - 19:10, said:

I don't do nothing at Christmas

Your double negative implies you actually do something. I hope you know what a double negative is.

MAJIC, on 25 Dec 2013 - 03:45, said:

Depriving Children of Christmas,is taking away part of their childhood. And just because you are a miserable old skinflint.

And did you ever read Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" ?

Then you encourage other cultures taking religious holidays/celebrations form others. If these kids have never experienced Christmas why introduce them to it, if they are growing up in Thailand, celebrate Thai culture, or do you think they should also be introduced to Ramadan, Passover or any other cultural celebrations.

Seeing the excitement on my three year old daughters face this morning is just magical. And seeing my mother-in-law from a village deep in Isaan eat scrambled egg with smoked salmon with a knife and fork; priceless! Spread a little happiness!

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