christmas in thailand

i typed up an entry yesterday but somehow i lost it. when i find it i will put it up :)

its the day after christmas here and at school they are having a ceremony for the monks. which at first seems odd considering a christian holiday followed the next day by a holiday dedicated to buddhist monks. but then i thought about it. maybe i was wrong and that christmas is not just celebrated here because of consumerism and westernization. it is a holiday that the "westerners" brought here yes, but it does have meaning for thai people other than putting up christmas trees and buying gifts. it is about karma and giving and receiving. it is the same thing that they are doing today for the monks, they give the monks offerings of food, etc. the monks only survive in this country because the thai people give them offerings, the monks have no possessions and are not allowed to touch money. the thai people give them offerings because it helps build their merit. the monks, being monks benefits the whole community not just their own life. giving to the monks means giving to help keep the peaceful community that you live in. and this is the same way for christmas- it promotes a sense of community and keeps it close-knit and peaceful. the communities here survive by everyone giving and helping each other. the act of giving gifts to others gains yourself merit, good karma, good luck, however you want to think of it. but thinking of giving gifts as gaining good karma for yourself will not gain good karma for yourself at all, it has to be selfless, genuine giving. christmas (in the sense of gift exchange) is a good holiday for thais because right before the new year they want to have good luck and good merit to start off the next year on the right foot.

thats my random thought of what christmas means to thais.