Thailand Teacher’s Appreciation Day is held shortly after the beginning of the term, on the first Thursday of June. As for Thais, Thursday is a very significant day. Thursday is traditionally regarded as the day of wisdom and teachers.
Thailand Teacher’s Appreciation Day (วันไหว้ครู)
Studying in Thai school not only Nimbine Lamshong, but her parents are also learning many new things. On Thai Teacher’s Appreciation Day, Nimbine and her parents learn the significance of the use of flowers and grasses use for teacher’s appreciation day ceremony.
On ‘Wan Wai Kru’ Teachers’ Day, students bring flowers to their teachers as a symbol of their respect for their teachers and to show their readiness to learn.
The most popular or important flower to bring on Thai Teacher’s Day is called “dok khem” (needle flower or Ixora). “Dok Khem” or the Needle Flower is so significant for each student to bring to their teachers amongst other flowers.
It represents the student’s promise that his/her brain will be as sharp as a needle throughout the learning processes with their teachers throughout their learning period.
Miss Nimbine Lamshong Mondo (pictured above), her first Thai Teacher’s Day was on 24th day of the Month of June in 2021.
Couple of days earlier, Nimbine would come home from school excitedly telling her mom and dad that her teacher took her to the big school hall where they learn to sing and dance and play games. Actually, she has been practicing with her classmates to celebrate Thai Teacher’s Day.
Her parents would confirm all her reports of her school activities by seeing all the pictures taken at the school and sent to them by her class teacher through parents social group.
On Wednesday, 23rd of June 2021, Nimbine’s teacher sent message to the parents telling them about the teachers’ day coming up the next day.
Her teacher offered to help make the flowers for Nimbine to present during Thai teacher’s day ceremony knowing that Nimbine’s parents, Paul and Nancy are not from Thailand.
However, Paul and Nancy would like to take this as a learning opportunity to learn how to do it by themselves for their daughter so that each year they don’t have to ask the teachers or other people to prepare flowers for their daughter to celebrate teacher’s day, since Nimbine is attending local Thai school.
Parents decided to take this challenge as learning opportunity. After asking few Thai Christian friends and with the help of one of their close friend, Paul and Nancy able to learn the significance of each flowers and grasses and other things that are used to prepare a meaningful gift for their daughter to present to her teacher on Thai teacher’s day.
After putting all the necessary or significant flowers together, they came up with a cone made of banana leaf filled with flowers, which Nimbine took to the school and celebrated Thai teacher’s day with her teacher, as seen in the pictures above.
Thailand Teacher’s Appreciation Day (วันไหว้ครู) – Nimbine’s First Experience of Crawling with Bowed Head to Her Teacher.
The วันไหว้ครู
/Wan Wai Kru/ or
Teachers’ Appreciation Day in Thailand is held shortly after the beginning of the term, on the first Thursday of June. As for Thais, Thursday is a very significant day. Thursday is traditionally regarded as the day of wisdom and teachers.
It’s first time for Miss Nimbine Lamshong Mondo and her parents to be part of this ceremony. Students from each class would prepare trays of flowers a week of few days ahead.
In all the Thai schools, from kindergarten to universities and colleges, teachers are honored and highly respected. ครู/kruu/ in Thai is ‘teacher,’ which means heavy in duty or responsibility.
During the Thai Teacher’s Day or “Wai Kruu ceremony” the children crawled up to the teachers on their knees, heads down, and presented their teachers with flower tray with candles and incense.
The Students would recite the wai kru chant, which expresses respect for, and gratitude to the teachers, and asks for the teachers’ blessing of their studies.
After the ceremony, Nimbine’s parents received reports from one of the Christian teacher from her school that she couldn’t crawl like every Thai student due to her body size. The teacher reported and appreciated Nimbine very much for performing her best to show respect to her teacher, even though it was her first time.
Thailand Teacher’s Appreciation Day (วันไหว้ครู) – Significance of Flowers
The flower trays given to the teachers have three specific flowers in them:
1. ดอกเข็ม
(ixora) symbolizing wit.
2. ดอกมะเขือ
(eggplant flowers) symbolizing respect.
3. หญ้าแพรก
[yâa prâek] (Burmuda Grass ; Wire Grass ; Dub Grass) symbolizing respect and perseverance.
Nimbine had this opportunity to show respect to her teacher and receive blessings by bringing these flowers to her teacher. It was her first time experience to actually crawl for some 5-10 meters on her knees along with other students with heads bowed as a sign of great honor and respect for their teachers.
Caption: Miss Nimbine Lemshong Mondo getting ready to craw to her teacher to present her gift on Thai Teacher’s day.
Thank you for reading Nimbine’s Thailand Schooling experience with her parents.
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Thank you and God bless you.
Paul Mondo.