Leelawadee, the flower of World No Tobacco Day
Why the white frangipani flower symbolises the giving up of a personal vice like cigarettes in Thai tradition
World No Tobacco Day is observed around the world every year on May 31, with ashtrays and fresh flowers used as a common symbol in marking the occasion. Thailand, however, doesn’t use any common blooms to mark this important day but rather a specific flower – leelawadee.
Leelawadee (plumeria or frangipani), a small flowering tree often grown as cosmopolitan ornamentals, has long been used by Thais as a symbol of quitting personal vices. The meaning came from its former name “lan thom”, with lan meaning to abandon and thom denoting sadness or bad things.
Lan thom was later renamed leelawadee, which mean ‘a delicate flower’ as the former name reminded people of sadness. This has resulted in many people refusing to grow it at home, fearing that it will bring bad luck and believing that it should only be grown in monasteries or temple grounds.
In Thailand, people like to give leelawadee flowers or a card with its photo to show support to those wishing to quit smoking, while urging them to use May 31 as the starting day.
The annual observance of World No Tobacco Day informs the public on the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, what the World Health Organisation (WHO) is doing to fight against the use of tobacco, and what people around the world can do to claim their right to health and healthy living and to protect future generations.
