A Holiday to Celebrate Kids

Every holiday season, my Facebook feed is flooded with pictures of cultural celebrations—Christmas lights, picnics, egg hunts and costume parties of which my children are mostly oblivious. While it’s nice to have input on how much junk food and cultural materialism they consume each season, I do feel a tinge of mom-guilt knowing they are “missing out” on the holiday excitement.

“Children’s Day”, held the second January each year in Thailand, is all of that in reverse. It’s a day to celebrate kids. Every mall, tourist attraction and hospital (yes, hospital) throws a party guaranteed to hold loud music, games, and enough sugar to meet your dietary needs for the month. But of all the parties in the city, I have to believe our neighborhood throws the best.

The festivities started at 7:30 Saturday morning when the local government speakers blared directly into our kitchen announcing (for 10 straight minutes) that it was time to make our way to our local community center. Apparently sleeping in is not a traditional way to enjoy the day.

Upon arriving, I was reminded how densely populated our community is.  At least 800 people, mostly seated in little plastic chairs, were waiting for the party to begin. Celebratory music boomed over the loud speaker loudly enough for us to hear at our house ½ a mile away.

We spent the first 20 minutes looking for a friend we had agreed to meet. Nate helpfully reminded me that we were looking for the mom with black hair.

We watched a presentation by several local school groups and listened to a song performed by our church. Next came the dispersal of door prizes that included everything from Ramon noodles, to bicycles, to several small washing machines.

Then chaos broke loose. It was time to eat. Dozens of individuals showed up to serve noodles, rice dishes, coconut drinks, and every type of Thai snack you can imagine. The mass of 800 patiently pushed their way through the tables devouring everything in sight.

Feels like trick-or-treating. But without the scary monsters and awkward costumes.

“A” enjoying durian flavored ice cream and me with a bowl of spicy noodle soup. The soup was delicious once I picked out the lumps of congealed pigs’ blood.

Just in case you couldn’t get enough food on the spot, other volunteers set up games, offering bundles of take-home snacks for every winner and loser. Each mom carried a large tote bag to store the loot. The “want-to-be-anti-sugar" side of me cringed at each bag of chips, but the rest of me was secretly giddy knowing that all such items would receive a “mom tax.” Moms have needs too.

One of the most intriguing hand-outs: “French Fried Snack with Strawberry Milk Dip.”

Festivities in the neighborhood went on all day at a couple different local venues with people congregating to pass out cake, yogurt, and even one-size-fits-all children’s pants. It was a day of seeing old neighborhood friends, and feeling undeservingly welcomed into our tight-knit community.

We may have missed out on the turkey gravy and Christmas lights this year, but Thailand definitely has a celebratory culture of its own. I’m thankful for a community that loves kids and invites us to join in their party.