Here at Pattaya Events we normally bring you news of epic musical events or great sporting happenings in and around the Pattaya area. People associate Pattaya with fun happenings and great entertainment.

But the great seaside city also likes to keep traditional Thai traditions alive, as well as some of the newer celebration days that have crept into the Thai calendar. In this blog we focus on Teacher’s Day that will be celebrated on the 16th January 2019, which coincidentally is just four days after national Children’s Day.

Teachers Day

Most people in Pattaya, or actually in Thailand for that matter, are not aware there is actually a day dedicated to teachers. Wan Kru or Teacher’s Day is celebrated every year in Thailand and is also a school holiday.

It is a day when students gather together to remember their teachers and thank them for imparting great knowledge and wisdom. If you are European or American you will probably be really surprised how Thai school children respect their schools and their teachers.

Until fairly recently education was a privilege and not for everybody, therefore Thai’s appreciate what their country is doing for them. Thai students are extremely well attired and very attentive in class.

Unlike Western schools were most school kids have a blatant disrespect for the education system, in Thailand, the students feel privileged to receive an education. It elevates them from an automatic adult future of working in the fields or factories.

The Origins of Teacher’s Day

Teacher’s Day originated in 1957 and has continued ever since as a celebration. The events on the day include a ceremony of paying respect to the teacher by chanting a Pali prayer, which in turn offers up strength and unity amongst the teaching fraternity. There is, of course, religious connotations to the day, such as offering food to monks and pouring water as a sign of dedication of merit to the old teachers.

Confucius once said, “A true teacher is one who, keeping the past alive, is also able to understand the present.” And this is perfectly true of the good mentors out there, who toil daily to give the children the tools they need to survive life.

This is why Thai parents teach their young children to always respect their teachers and to understand that their teachings are really important.

On the day, all students come to school with flowers and prostrate at their teacher’s feet to give thanks and respect. The flowers hold great symbolism, the bouquets given to the teachers have three specific flowers in them: one for wit, one for respect, and the other for perseverance. In performing the ritual, the students are thanking the teachers for having been taught well in the past, while hoping to gain merit and good luck for the future.

The Purpose of Teacher’s Day

So the day serves two real purposes, it offers the opportunity for the teachers to remember their old past tutors, and also for present-day students to pass their respects onto their current instructors and ask for their blessings for their future good luck in learning.

Impressions last a lifetime, and the lessons learned will be passed down to others, almost like inheritances of wisdom. So it is fitting that on January the 16th, teachers have a special day where we can all celebrate one of the noblest and most selfless callings of all.