After the New Year celebration, children will look forward to Children's Day. This day is most wanted by many children. Thailand National Children's Day is celebrated on the 2nd Saturday of January. The day is known in Thai as "Wan Dek." ("Wan" means the day; "Dek" means children.) The first Children's Day celebration was on the first Monday of October 1955 and continued until 1963. Then it was changed to 2nd Saturday of January. It is very important for children because there are many activities on this day, and all Thai children feel fun and happy.
The begining of Children's Day is from an idea to urge children to realize themselves. Mr.VM Kunkanee,the Representatives Organization International Union for Child Welfare, provided National Children's Day. His proposal to the Department of Public Welfare to hold in the National Children's Day is to encourage people to see the importance of children, and to recognize their importance. The first National Children's Day in Thailand had been held on the first Monday of October 1955 and had been held in a row every year until 1963. It was changed to the 2nd Saturday of January because it is already the period of winter and it was official holidays. However, in 1964, it could not keep up with events on Children's Day, so it has begun in 1965 that the 2nd Saturday of January 2nd is the National Children's Day until now.
"Smart thinking, Innocent mind, Sparking dreams, Love , and Harmony"
It is a tradition that the present prime minister of Thailand gives a motto to children. This tradition started in 1956 by the Prime Minister General P. Plak Phiboonsongkram. In 1959, the Prime Minister General Sarit Thanarat acknowledged the value of children so he provided the motto for children every year. The Children's Day motto is meant to teach children to know how important they are and make them live and learn correctly. For example, The Children's Day motto in 2009 is
"Smart thinking" means that children and young people need to consider the information and news through the filter media to be useful in lifestyle.
"Innocent mind" means children and young people should have a pure heart. Adults must help to indoctrinate good things for children.
"Sparking derams" means everyone must have clearly purpose in life. They will not waste the opportunity to spend time doing what they dream of and what will make life successful.
" Love and Harmony" means if society is not good. It will ruin the quality of life too, so everyone must participate to make the unity.
From that day on, every prime minister of Thailand in every period has considered it a tradition to do it continually until now.
Both government and private organizations hold activities for children on this special day all over the country. Children are entertained with many events such as singing contest because the winner will receive pocket money or candy; dancing contest will make the children's ability more harmonized; game-playing is an activity that kids love because they can earn both fun and awards; quiz competition is an interesting a
ctivity for children because they will have fun and gain knowledge. Moreover, many interesting places will usually let the children in to visit for half price or even free such as the Dusit Zoo, the Army, Navy, and Air force bases. Government House is also opened for children. The children who want to be the Prime Minister in the future will come and sit down on the seat of the Prime Minister and visit the conference room of the parliament. Military section also shows their equipment, vehicle and aircraft for the children to experience first-hand.
Children's Day is not only the celebration for children but it also tells them to prepare themselves to be an adult in the future. These are the reason why many adults or even the Prime Minister acknowledge its value. They all were children before, so they think it is important to celebrate childhood. As someone said, kid is like white paper, you can paint anything on it. Therefore, they want to paint a good thing on them and Children's Day is an opportunity for adults to create the best children in the future.
References :
1. http://www.tungsong.com/Important_Day/Children.../index.asp
2. http://www.th.wikipedia.org/wiki/วันเด็กแห่งชาติ_(ประเทศไทย)
3. http://watlantong.igetweb.com/index.php?mo=3&art=247071
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY_ItngKUQU&feature=
player_embedded
5. http://ezinearticles.com/?Childrens-Day-in-Thailand&id=567445
6. http://www.webhost.m-culture.go.th/...days-in-thailand/56-the-national-childrens-day.html
