Christmas in Bangkok
Bangkok does a fantastic job of bringing alive the joyous spirit of Christmas out for all to enjoy. Christmas trees (or more commonly known as fir trees, my favorite being the Colorado blue) may not be found in Thailand growing naturally, but Bangkok has plenty of them lit up around town. Colorful figures such as Santa Claus, snow flakes, Christmas decorations, and even Rudolph the rednosed Reindeer made an appearance.
Only 1.7% of Thailand celebrates Christmas as Christians, but they put on a great show for the vast amount of travelers visiting Bangkok. Also, Thailand rates as one of the best countries for expats to live in. Many of them coming from Christian backgrounds.
Knowing the ritual as I was accustomed to back home in the midwest of the US usually pertained snow on the ground, families visiting from all over the country to be together, Christmas Eve midnight service, hot cocoa, and opening presents on Christmas morning. A very reserved, warm and cozy holiday that mostly allowed for reflection, and being with loved ones.
In Bangkok, we were treated to a bang of large, loud, lit up Christmas decorations that had swarms of people taking pictures. Not just of the decorations, but of themselves with the decorations. People LOVE selfies over here!!!! And we joined in.
This was a certified, Selfie Extravaganza. Is it because of the Christmas decorations? Or is it just because everyone loves the way they look? There's an art gallery in Bangkok with an exhibition on the, "...phenomenon of selfies."
How do I take a selfie? First of all, I do not like looking at myself. Secondly, you get one shot at it. None of this let's review while turning your head at different angles to ensure the perfect picture was taken. But I get it. When you don't have someone to take your picture, sometimes the selfie is all you have to show for where you are. So we 'selfied' about, and Christmas in Bangkok was memorable. A lot of fun to walk around and admire a tribute to a fun holiday.