This isn’t the first time I’ve spent Christmas outside the US, but it still took me a little bit off guard this year. When we arrived in Bangkok at our hotel, the lobby was decorated with a large, extravagant Christmas tree, dozens of poinsettias, and ornaments and garland draped across all the railings. The malls and shopping plazas similarly were filled with trees, Santas and Christmas decor.
Upon arriving in Chiang Mai the following week, we found all the same things here. It’s 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and when Trevis ordered an iced coffee from a cart on our street, it came in a plastic cup with Santa’s face printed on the side. I saw a cactus by the side of the road with red bows all over it. Christmas is everywhere, with carols playing (in English) on all the restaurant sound systems, and yet it didn’t feel like Christmas to me. Was it the heat and the coconuts? Was it the lack of nativity scenes? Was I just in a mood?
I did a little bit of research about Thais and Christmas. Thailand is over 90 percent Buddhist with a small number of Christians, Muslims, and other religions, perhaps a bit more Christianity here in Chiang Mai due to the large expat population. For the most part, though, Christmas in Thailand is does not seem to be about family gatherings and certainly not about a savior come as a baby. In my online research, I saw one Thai person explain it this way: Christmas is to Thai people what Cinco de Mayo is to Americans. It’s an excuse to drink and party without any cultural awareness or attachment. Perhaps with a bit more experience and understanding on my part of Thai culture I would find it to be a little more nuanced than that explanation, who knows?
How did Christmas look for us? Trevis suggested buying a couple of small Christmas decorations from the convenience store down the street. I played Christmas music in our apartment. We met some new friends for dinner at the night market. We went to church and sang “O Holy Night” in Thai. It was all a little bit weird, a little bit foreign, a little bit familiar. Just like the rest of our lives!
