Teachers forcing Christmas on Thai children

[loong]

The children at the local school were told to bring a Christmas present to school tomorrow for a sort of secret santa where everybody will go home with a gift. Parents have been given no notice at all, but I guess that as a teacher has spoken many parents will do their best to comply.

I don't celebrate Christmas and although I think that it is good for the children to learn about other cultures, I think that it is wrong for a teacher to force the culture on the children.

[Kangawallafox]

I don't think she is going into a religious sermon about Jesus,just letting children enjoy the santa part.

I am a strict Buddhist,have been for twenty years,tomorrow we will take our children to central world for pics of the decorations and other Xmas stuff.

Don't think santa will corrupt them to much.

[soi41]

This has got absolutely nothing to do forcing Christian culture on children!!

Thais like to celebrate anything!! Just think about their 3 new year celebrations!

Probably there is a price limit on the present, so relax and let the kids have a good time, and forget the political correctness for a day or two!!

[krisb]

Kind of depends where the school is

So what location is it?

[Ulysses G.]

The War On Christmas comes to Thailand.

[norrona]

so just cos YOU don't celebrate Christmas and the joy of giving gifts you expect everyone else not to?

Are you a follower of Islam or something?

the secret Santa is just a way of people interacting with each other, surely interaction is good for your children no?

[PeterSmiles]

The War On Christmas comes to Thailand.

After all you noticed that Santa wears red ?

[mogandave]

Asking students to participate in a gift exchange is forcing culture?

[Shancloudy]

I think its ok. Actually I'm teaching at Wat ______ School and my school Director talked to me 2 weeks before christmas she asked what are my plans for christmas and she asked me about the food that we will eat for christmas. And she told me to decorate a christmas tree at school and the monk in the temple invited me and my co-thai teachers to eat lunch at the temple tomorrow. The monk donated 500 pieces of cupcakes with a different christmas design on top of the cupcake. All students are excited to dance and sing a song tomorrow and they are excited for the exchange gifts.

[Chicog]

Wow children having fun at Christmas, I think we need to stamp that right out Mr. Humbug.

[bkkgriz]

My school has a party every year. The kids play some games, perform some dances, eat a lot of junk food and exchange presents. There is nothing religious about it, much like the holiday in the west anymore. I like the holiday because I get the week off.

[tingtong]

Asking students to participate in a gift exchange is forcing culture?

Not any more than taking the kids regularly to the wat.

Personally i am a non believer type, but whatever, it doesnt bother me.

We indeed celebrate Xmas, as a day of many gifts for my son, and i never preach about the religious side...a fun family day, that is.

[geriatrickid]

Wow children having fun at Christmas, I think we need to stamp that right out Mr. Humbug.

Agreed.

As an aside, I think the children could be better served by marching out to an orphanage and giving the gifts to kids who have nothing.

My sister made her kids join her as a volunteer at the local church Christmas dinner for the disadvantaged so that they would understand what poverty was. I objected at the time as I saw no need for the kids to mingle with those beneath their social class. Unfortunately, I was over ruled and those varmints picked up dangerous notions like compassion and respect for people no matter their status in life. Thankfully, Thailand, still is in line with my views especially when donors make a big show about giving a donation. Nothing encourages the poor and disadvantaged like a bit of public spectacle to encourage them to stop being poor or physically disabled.

[mad mary]

I've dressed as Santa & dished out prezzies to all the kids in Ma' & Pa's village...They loved it ,even brought a cake all the way from the UK ,that got demolished in minutes.All good fun ,no religious sentiment at all.

[harrry]

Scrooge.

[soi41]

This has got absolutely nothing to do forcing Christian culture on children!!

Thais like to celebrate anything!! Just think about their 3 new year celebrations!

Probably there is a price limit on the present, so relax and let the kids have a good time, and forget the political correctness for a day or two!!

Just after I had posted the quoted post, I went down the soi to throw garbage, and was passed by 3 young girls on a motorbike. When they saw the farang, they screamed on top of their lungs Merry Christmas.

Wonder if they too had been indoctrinated by the evil Christian missionaries??

Small things like that makes this country worth living in!!

[h90]

This has got absolutely nothing to do forcing Christian culture on children!!

Thais like to celebrate anything!! Just think about their 3 new year celebrations!

Probably there is a price limit on the present, so relax and let the kids have a good time, and forget the political correctness for a day or two!!

yes 3 out of 4 new years.....they leave one out.

[NeverSure]

This is a copy/paste of an email I got from an Isaan school teacher a couple of days ago.

Hi xxxxxx

Christmas will come, a school will have Christmas day for students, we are not christtians but we have to learn the culture of native English speaker.

Tomorrow I have to take 4 students to a competition at a temple in a town, it is question answer competition about Buddhism.

You have a nice weekend,

xxxx

[kannot]

so just cos YOU don't celebrate Christmas and the joy of giving gifts you expect everyone else not to?

Are you a follower of Islam or something?

the secret Santa is just a way of people interacting with each other, surely interaction is good for your children no?

So Christmas is the "joy of giving gifts" is it................

I'd send my kids with an empty shallow box representing "Christmas", hey its the thought that counts.

[kikoman]

There is nothing wrong with children exchanging gift at Christmas time, the commercial aspect of the western celebration, teaching about other cultures is what learning is all about, I hope they have a great time.

Cheers

[phusingpete]

This is a copy/paste of an email I got from an Isaan school teacher a couple of days ago.

Hi xxxxxx

Christmas will come, a school will have Christmas day for students, we are not christtians but we have to learn the culture of native English speaker.

Tomorrow I have to take 4 students to a competition at a temple in a town, it is question answer competition about Buddhism.

You have a nice weekend,

xxxx

Yeah, it's tough living in a global community.

[JusMe]

There are two reasonably distinct celebrations of Xmas. One is clearly religious, and I wouldn't want to impose that on anyone else.

The other is quite definitely a secular Xmas, and involves things like Santa, trees, decorations, and even the traditional carols.

As long as the Thai celebration is of the latter form of Xmas, I don't think it's an imposition at all.

I'm a confirmed atheist, but don't take offence if someone wishes me a Merry Xmas, or Happy Hannakuh, or Riotous Ramadan, or whatever. I might even wish them the same in return.

So, Merry Xmas (secular) to everyone here.

[rebbu]

This is a copy/paste of an email I got from an Isaan school teacher a couple of days ago.

Hi xxxxxx

Christmas will come, a school will have Christmas day for students, we are not christtians but we have to learn the culture of native English speaker.

Tomorrow I have to take 4 students to a competition at a temple in a town, it is question answer competition about Buddhism.

You have a nice weekend,

xxxx

Very flirty teacher. Lot's of kisses. Is he handsome?

[Soutpeel]

so just cos YOU don't celebrate Christmas and the joy of giving gifts you expect everyone else not to?

Are you a follower of Islam or something?

the secret Santa is just a way of people interacting with each other, surely interaction is good for your children no?

He might be Jewish, he may be of another faith that doesn't celebrate Xmas, he may be atheist,

Your rather bigoted don't you think accusing him of being a follower of Islam

Christianity..... Yes the cult of brotherly love and tolerance being really shown in this post

[Satcommlee]

The tradition of exchanging gifts at the end of December is older than Christianity itself!! It is a Secular act (having no religious significance)

For example, In B.C. Roman times it was a reversal of roles where the slave masters would look after the slaves.

My son's school, albeit a catholic school, done the same thing yesterday.. We had a slip which said we should buy a present worth around 100 Baht and they would be handed out randomly to the kids.

I think it is a great thing to do and has absolutely nothing to do with religion!

[bkkgooner]

Seems like a lovely idea by the teacher but one day notice is a bit of a joke

Can't se much wrong with it in principle though as Thais enjoy doing secret santa for new years anyway or are you just one of those miserable sods who hates christmas?

[Soutpeel]

There are two reasonably distinct celebrations of Xmas. One is clearly religious, and I wouldn't want to impose that on anyone else.

The other is quite definitely a secular Xmas, and involves things like Santa, trees, decorations, and even the traditional carols.

As long as the Thai celebration is of the latter form of Xmas, I don't think it's an imposition at all.

I'm a confirmed atheist, but don't take offence if someone wishes me a Merry Xmas, or Happy Hannakuh, or Riotous Ramadan, or whatever. I might even wish them the same in return.

So, Merry Xmas (secular) to everyone here.

Agree for the most part in what your saying but the basis of Christmas is religious the name of the holiday is kinda a give away "Christ" and incidently the holiday itself was stolen from one of the Roman pagan gods

Traditional carols are hardly secular, go and have a look at the words to silent night.....there is a verse relating to a virgin who is up the the duff LOL

[Jingthing]

I don't like that Thais seem to think if you have white skin that you are definitely Christian and definitely celebrating Christmas. Globalization -- it's a b. yatch.

As far as sharing the western culture, did that forced Christmas participation ever happen in your school in the west because it never happened in mine! So how is that sharing western culture? It's more like yet another DISTORTION of something, no interest in any deeper understanding is there?

Edited December 24, 2013 by Jingthing

[Satcommlee]

It could be a lot worse, it could be a UK school that is too scared to make a big fuss out of Christmas in-case it offends the non-Christian minority!

[Jingthing]

It could be a lot worse, it could be a UK school that is too scared to make a big fuss out of Christmas in-case it offends the non-Christian minority!

Sounds better. Why should a secular school celebrate ANY religious holiday?