Wai Khruu or Teacher's Day in Thailand

I couldn't remember celebrating Teacher's Day in my elementary and high school days. The only memory I had with this celebration was when I'm in 2nd year college. Our group presented a comical skit about a teacher's life and sang Yoyoy Villame's song that made caused an uproar! Each of us gave a single stem of rose to our fave instructors. I recalled that I didn't give flowers. It's not that I don't have a fave teacher. It's just that I couldn't afford to buy flowers. They're freakin' expensive for someone like me-a broke student...LOL! The other reason was I just arrived from a National Quiz Bee contest and I didn't know that it was Teacher's Day so I got an excuse...he..he...

Here in Thailand, it's not the case. Teacher's Day is already a part of the school's celebration scheduled every June and it usually falls on the 2nd Thursday (Thursday is an auspicious day for Buddhist) . This year it was last June 9. Every single student must bring bouquets of flowers or Jasmine bracelet for their teachers. They also have a short program where learners prostate at teachers' feet as a sign of respect. The first time I experienced this onstage , I felt really uncomfortable because this action signifies worship. I'm like a goddess being worshiped and it's severely uncommon to me! I'm glad that the following years, we're not obliged to participate anymore. It's enough for me to receive flowers knowing that children appreciates my effort.

I love flowers!

so sweet for these kids to give me flowers:)

the teachers and learners sitting on the ground during the ceremony

In my hubby's case, they're invited and required to sit with the teachers during the ceremony.Because their students are old enough (high school)to make their own floral arrangements-each class is required to use traditional Thai flowers and plants, banana leaves and incense in the larger arrangements. They even had a contest on who got the best flower arrangement!

Hubby's holding the flower arrangement like he's Nadal winning the Roland Garros title:)

the students displayed their fabulous entries for the BEST Flower Arrangement of the year

Imagine these thousands of students offering flowers to their teachers...I bet a mountain of flowers will be formed after the ceremony!

 These are just few of the many entries of the flower arrangement:

If you noticed, the flower arrangements has common elements: flowers, incense and candles. Each of the elements in the Wai Kruu ceremony has a symbolic meaning.

• Incense. The number of incense sticks vary according to the level of the spirit teacher that they wish to contact. Theoretically offering incense for Buddhist means that they're asking to the spirit entity to help them keep good morals.

• Candles. The meaning of offering candles is associated with having light through darkness, in other words asking for having wisdom in life.When they offer yellow candles, they are asking for wisdom in Buddha's teaching.White candles represent pure straight Buddhist practice.

• Flowers. Offering Flowers in Buddhism is a very common and meaningful action. According to them,  The action opens the heart chakra (like in Naruto?) and teach them about giving without expecting anything back. Flowers look beautiful but a few days later they become dry and the beauty is gone. Offering flowers is a way to remember  that humans are impermanent . They believe that giving flowers often make us not to be attached into material things such as money.

My entry for:

This is the way we celebrate Teacher's Day in Thailand

Last June 10, Thursday the schools here in Thailand celebrated Teacher's day or Wai Khruu . I've blogged in Teaching Moments and Away from Home how we celebrated Teacher's day. You can head over there and more details and photos I laid out for you (indirectly, what I'm trying to say is that my two new blogs need your precious visits ) .

How we wish these are ours.

These are just few of the elaborately decorated “paan,” golden containers filled with flowers that the students in the class helped to create.