Wai Kruu

“Wai Kruu”
Thai is a beautiful tonal language full of valleys, hills, and horizons. Like a song, the tones are perfectly placed to create a melody of highs and lows. Like their language, the people of Thailand are equally impressive. They are gracious with their respect, and I am continually impressed with the Thai people’s dedication to honoring those before them. Recently, our school held a ceremony known as Wai Kruu. “Wai” translated means “Respect” while “Kruu” translated means “teacher.” The Respect for the Teacher ceremony began with a chant in Thai, continued with an overview of the history of Wai Kruu in both Chinese and Thai traditions, and ended with an incredible ceremony full of treats that were symbolic of American (an apple), Chinese (cookies), and Thai (flowers) traditions. However, my favorite part of the ceremony was watching all of the kiddos in their various stages of learning how to pay respects, ranging from the baby preschoolers who simply found their teachers to give flowers to all the way up to the high school students who bowed their heads to the ground, giving the Wai and walking on their knees to present flowers to the teachers. Here are a few pics of our day.

Lining up and getting ready for Wai Kruu


My student presenting me with flowers


The high school students presenting to their teachers