Fr. Reynaldo Fulgentio Tardelly,SX
Thai catholics have their own way to welcome and celebrate Christmas. Everywhere in the country since the beginning of December, each parish organizes Prakuman, a kind of door to door procession of infant Jesus. It’s a kind of devotion probably brought by Portuguese missionaries. The priest, accompanied by the parishioners, brings the statue of infant Jesus and put it in the Christmas crib prepared by each family. After singing two or three Christmas carols, the members of family come to kiss the infant Jesus and receive the blessing from the priest. Then the procession continues to the next family. Every day there could be a ten or more houses to welcome the Prakuman until the day of Epiphany.
Prakuman procession is an opportunity to reinforce the sense of belonging to the Catholic church as many don’t practice their faith for the reason of works, the problem of irregular marriages or even the distance. The parish priest and the parish council organize such that they can reach even the farthest domicile in the territory. Prakuman becomes also a means of evangelization in the midst of Buddhist dominated populations. As the Christians are the minority here, such a devotion becomes an occasion to confirm their presence among the majority.
In the age of market economy, Christmas season has been a season for shopping and feast even for all Thai no matter to what religion they belong to. The shopping centers compete to attract the consumers as many as possible with discounts hailed as Christmas gift and extraordinary decoration. All that make you feel as if you were in a city of Santa Claus. The Catholics can’t be unable to be affected by such a circumstance. However, they try not to take for granted the meaning of Christmas. It invites them to live the joy of sharing and giving. After visiting all the houses for the Prakuman, most of parishes organize a mega bazaar for all the people. It offers many kind of games with rewards. At the Christmas eve, after early midnight mass, each family voluntarily offers meals to share in the church both for Catholics and visitors. They believe, as they learned from their catechism, that church should be a house of bread, a Bethlehem for all as Jesus has been an everlasting bread for them.
Thai catholics have their own way to welcome and celebrate Christmas. Everywhere in the country since the beginning of December, each parish organizes Prakuman, a kind of door to door procession of infant Jesus. It’s a kind of devotion probably brought by Portuguese missionaries. The priest, accompanied by the parishioners, brings the statue of infant Jesus and put it in the Christmas crib prepared by each family. After singing two or three Christmas carols, the members of family come to kiss the infant Jesus and receive the blessing from the priest. Then the procession continues to the next family. Every day there could be a ten or more houses to welcome the Prakuman until the day of Epiphany.
Prakuman procession is an opportunity to reinforce the sense of belonging to the Catholic church as many don’t practice their faith for the reason of works, the problem of irregular marriages or even the distance. The parish priest and the parish council organize such that they can reach even the farthest domicile in the territory. Prakuman becomes also a means of evangelization in the midst of Buddhist dominated populations. As the Christians are the minority here, such a devotion becomes an occasion to confirm their presence among the majority.
In the age of market economy, Christmas season has been a season for shopping and feast even for all Thai no matter to what religion they belong to. The shopping centers compete to attract the consumers as many as possible with discounts hailed as Christmas gift and extraordinary decoration. All that make you feel as if you were in a city of Santa Claus. The Catholics can’t be unable to be affected by such a circumstance. However, they try not to take for granted the meaning of Christmas. It invites them to live the joy of sharing and giving. After visiting all the houses for the Prakuman, most of parishes organize a mega bazaar for all the people. It offers many kind of games with rewards. At the Christmas eve, after early midnight mass, each family voluntarily offers meals to share in the church both for Catholics and visitors. They believe, as they learned from their catechism, that church should be a house of bread, a Bethlehem for all as Jesus has been an everlasting bread for them.