Elephants in Thailand sporting Santa hats and surgical masks handed out hand gel, face masks and balloons to college students at a faculty’s annual Christmas get together, a COVID-era twist on a 15-year custom within the Buddhist majority nation.
“I’m so excited as a result of an occasion like this solely occurs annually and I feel my college is the one place with elephant Santas,” mentioned elementary college pupil, Beyapha Mhonsuwan.
The celebration on the Jirasartwitthaya college in Ayutthaya, north of Bangkok, has run for greater than 15 years and was particularly necessary the final two years amid the COVID-19 pandemic and its digital studying and lockdowns.
“We all know college students have been burdened due to on-line courses, so we hope this occasion could make them joyful and encourage them to return to highschool,” mentioned the occasion’s organiser, Reangrhongbaht Meepan from the Ayutthaya Elephant Palace.
Thai faculties closed faculties once more in April https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thailand-close-schools-bars-after-surge-covid-19-cases-2021-04-16 this 12 months and rolled out vaccinations for highschool college students in October https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thailand-kicks-off-vaccinations-school-students-2021-10-04, forward of staggered reopenings and alternating days of attendance.
On Friday, solely 30% of lecture rooms have been crammed at Jirasartwitthaya.
“I’m so glad that I bought a balloon from the elephant. My coronary heart is pounding very quick,” mentioned pupil Biuon Greham, as different youngsters took photographs and selfies with the elephants, Thailand’s nationwide animal.
Thailand is 98% Buddhist, nevertheless it celebrates Christmas as a part of the year-end vacation season.
Coronavirus instances in Thailand peaked in August this 12 months, with 2.2 million whole infections to this point and 21,501 deaths.
(Reuters)