CalendarZ Holidays Feed

Guru Purnima

CalendarZ — Sun, 17 Feb 2019 22:55:02 +0000

Guru Purnima is a non-secular ritual observed by Hindus and Buddhists in Nepal. The rite is devoted to teachers –both academic and spiritual– who impart their wisdom and knowledge on people, without expecting any sort of pecuniary or compensation.

Bon Festival

CalendarZ — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 03:01:20 +0000

The Bon festival is a traditional Japanese Buddhist ceremony that has existed for more than five hundred years. It commemorates the spirit of progenitors, and is held either in July or August, depending on the location. The celebration originally included a dance yclept Bon-Odori, but has evolved since then into a family holiday, where people memorialize and pay tribute to their ancestors, by visiting the household of their lineal family and cleaning their graves.

Theravada New Year

CalendarZ — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 06:31:10 +0000

Theravada, which literally translates to School of the Elders, is the oldest branch of Buddhism that has perpetually existed to this date. It preserves the teachings of Buddha unaltered in the Pāli Canon, which is an agglomeration of ancient Buddhist passages written in the Pāli language –a language idiosyncratic to the Indian subcontinent– as its core belief. The Pāli Canon also comprises sundry traditions, customs, and practices of other cultures; due to its long perennial history of interacting with said cultures. Theravada Buddhism is the most practiced form of religion in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. It is also embraced in China, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Vietnam by minority groups.

Magha Puja Day

CalendarZ — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 04:30:32 +0000

In Thailand, the Magha Puja Day is a national Buddhist holiday. It falls either in February, according to the Lunar Calendar; or in March, according to the Gregorian calendar. The Magha Puja is typically celebrated during the third lunar month of the year; due to the deliverance of Buddha’s teachings in that period.

Parinirvana Day

CalendarZ — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 21:45:36 +0000

The Parinirvana is a celebratory Mahayana Buddhist holiday which falls on the 15th of February. However, some people have a proclivity towards observing it on the 8th of February instead. It commemorates the transcendence of Buddha outside his physical body on the day he deceased; attaining complete Nirvana – the ultimate goal of Buddhism. Albeit it is usually commemorated in East Asia, some Buddhist groups due west also engage in celebratory festivities.

The day is typically observed by reciting excerpts from the Nirvana Sutra recounting the final days of Buddha’s life. On that day, people often have the propensity of engaging in meditation, or visiting Buddhist temples and monasteries. Furthermore, that day is considered by many as a day of reflection – contemplating the life, future, and death of one’s own self, as well as of loved ones.

Chinese New Year

CalendarZ — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 23:44:06 +0000

In the old days of China, the emergence of the new moon in the period betwixt the 21st of January and the 20th of February marked the inception of the Chinese New Year. Nowadays, however, the Chinese New Year is colloquially denoted as the Spring Festival. According to Chinese traditions, the ceremony starts on the night prior to the beginning of the Chinese New Year and lasts until the 15th day of the year, where the Lantern Festival is celebrated.

Mahayana New Year

CalendarZ — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 05:05:58 +0000

The first full moon in January marks the beginning of the new year in the countries which conform to the Mahayana Buddhism beliefs. Nonetheless, the Buddhist New Year falls on a different day depending on ethnicity and country. For instance, Chinese, Koreans, and Vietnamese hold their celebrations in correspondence with the lunar calendar – either late January or early February. Whereas Tibetans customarily celebrate roughly one month later.

Loy Krathong

CalendarZ — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 07:40:17 +0000

This is a holiday celebrated mainly in Laos and Thailand. It is also known as the "Krathong Law" which means "Floating a Basket". This comes from the tradition of making small decorated baskets that are then left to float on a river.

Bodhi Day

CalendarZ — Mon, 18 Feb 2019 06:51:48 +0000

According to tradition, Bodhi Day honors the day when enlightenment was reached by Siddhartha Gautama, Shakyamuni or the historical Buddha by finding the roots of suffering after sitting under a giant Pipal tree to practice meditation. Siddhartha became a Buddha or "enlightened" when he received enlightenment. In the end, he found the answers he needed and reached the state of Nirvana.

Asalha Puja

CalendarZ — Mon, 18 Feb 2019 23:12:19 +0000

The day of Asalha Puja honors the Buddha's first sermon in the Deer Park in Benares, India, and the foundation of the Buddhist Sangha. In Thailand, it is also known as "Asanha Puja" or "Dhamma Day". The day is observed by listening to sermons and presenting offerings to the temples.