Patriotism in Germany, Sleepy monks in Thailand

sports cultures — By Bob Riel on June 25, 2006 at 4:36 pm

There have been some good stories this week with World Cup connections that have nothing to do with the actual games…

One of the more interesting is the widely reported rise in German pride and patriotism during this World Cup. The Germans have been notoriously cautious about showing any sort of nationalism since the end of World War II, but are finally beginning to feel that it’s O.K. to show some pride in their country, as evidenced by a marked increase in the sales of German flags.

“It’s happened so suddenly it does feel quite strange — so many flags, so much happiness about Germany,” Gisela Du Vignau, a 60-year-old native of Berlin, said yesterday as she enjoyed a warm afternoon by the burbling fountain outside Ludwig Church in the upscale Charlottenburg district. “Perhaps we Germans are finally starting to relax, starting to feel we can behave like normal people.”

“For so many years we’ve carried this bad image of ourselves,” she said. “I think it’s nice to show some pride and spirit. We should stay mindful of the past, of course. We should take care that appreciation for our own country does not become contempt for others. But it’s good that we can celebrate ourselves a little.”

To read more about events in Germany, you can check out these articles in the Boston Globe and Philadelphia Inquirer.

My favorite story, though, is the one about Buddhist monks in Thailand who have been too tired for their morning alms because they’ve been staying up late into the night to watch the World Cup.

The Sangha Council, which oversees the tens of thousands of Buddhist temples in Thailand, has not banned monks from watching the World Cup but said it should not interfere with religious activities. Chiang Mai chief monk Phra Thep Wisuthikhun said he had received complaints about “inappropriate behavior” at seven temples in the province. “It is the duty of the abbot of each temple to supervise the behavior of young monks, making sure that their religious activities will not be affected by the games,” he told Reuters.