My students also taught me that it is possible to change your wai based on who you’re wai-ing. There are three types of wais. One is to friends. I often see my roommate, Thun, do this to his friends when they come over. Another wai is to elders, which I do to adults I see. Thai culture emphasizes, or puts a lot of importance on, respecting elders, meaning people who were born before you, so it is encouraged to wai your elders. The last kind of wai is to Buddhist monks, who are seen frequently in Thailand wearing beautifully bright orange robes.
One of my students answered my question about wai with another question, asking, “Why do you shake hands with people?” I thought that was interesting. Why do we shake hands in America?
I think that communities maintain traditional greetings because each age group, or generation, wants to teach the generation below them about their traditions. In this way, the tradition gets passed on from generation to generation. The tradition may have started long ago, but I think we like to keep them going. Is there a fun game or activity you play with your friends that you have passed on to students in lower grades?
I think this tradition is very connected to Thai history. A long time ago, it was decided that the wai meant respect. The wai is very similar to a few Indian and Indonesian greetings, which makes me think that it originates from, or comes from, this Asian region. I’m curious to find out how greetings change around the world!
