海角大神

鈥� A local, slice-of-life story from a Monitor correspondent.

Swathed in flashy lights blinking 鈥淢erry Christ-mas,鈥� a seven-story shopping mall鈥檚 facade also features large Santas bearing gifts. Inside, myriad shops and stalls are festooned with synthetic pine boughs and other Yuletide paraphernalia 鈥� often right next to the obligatory Buddha statuettes and animistic spirit shrines.

All around Bangkok, giant neon snowflakes, chubby snowmen, and full-size reindeer sleighs are everywhere. 鈥淲e Wish You a Merry Christmas鈥� and 鈥淛ingle Bells鈥� pipe nonstop from loudspeakers. Weeks before the holiday, a Christmasy atmosphere is in full swing in this predominantly Buddhist country.

The Hollywood version of Christmas caters to Thais鈥� love of sanuk (fun), pretty decorations, and self-portraits 鈥� rolled into one.

Thousands flock to brightly lit Christmas displays where they jostle to pose for photographs. 鈥�Christmas has a wonderful atmosphere that many Thais love,鈥� says Darunee Sukanan, a young chemist, as she takes pictures with friends of a towering Christmas tree at a downtown plaza.

Near imitation snowbanks, worshipers in shorts kneel at a sacred Buddhist shrine shrouded in clouds of incense.

Locals know little about the holiday鈥檚 religious significance. 鈥淚 saw a movie about Santa once,鈥� a college student says, and giggles.