What festival is April 15 in the lunar calendar?
It is the day when the Buddha was born, enlightened and died. Buddha was born on the full moon in May 624 BC (equivalent to the full moon in April and 15 in the summer calendar), and his birthplace is Lumbini, Nepal today.
Vesak Day is a traditional festival in Southern Buddhism, commemorating the birth, enlightenment and nirvana of Buddha Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism. Buddhists from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal and other Southeast Asian and South Asian countries all hold grand celebrations on this important annual festival.
Extended data:
History:
Summary:
Vesak Day actually commemorates the birth, enlightenment and nirvana of the Buddha on the same day. It turns out that according to records, the Buddha was born on a full moon in May. Thirty-five years later, on a full moon in May, I realized the Tao under the Bodhi tree. Later, on the day of his nirvana, it happened to be a full moon in May. Although they are not on the same day, they are all in May, and their biggest common feature is the full moon.
Later Buddhists decided to celebrate Vesak Day on the first full moon in May every year. The explanation that Vesak means "full moon" in ancient Indian Sanskrit.
Become an international festival:
1950, the World Buddhist Friendship Association, an international Buddhist group, adopted a decision to celebrate Vesak Day at its first meeting in Sri Lanka ... demanding that government leaders of all countries take action to make the full moon in May a public holiday for most or a few Buddhists in their own countries to commemorate the Buddha, who is regarded as one of the greatest interests of mankind in the world. "
The tradition of Vesak Day (or similar festivals) has actually existed for centuries.
The United Nations recognizes that:
At the 54th session of the United Nations General Assembly from 65438 to 0999, representatives from 16 countries signed a letter asking the international community to recognize Vesak Day. The letter pointed out: "The Buddha's teachings and his messages of compassion, peace and kindness have touched millions of people in Qian Qian all over the world."
"Countless people in the world follow the teachings of the Buddha and commemorate the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha on Vesak Day." In the same year, Greece, Norway, Turkey, the United States and other countries also joined the initiative. 1999 12, according to the communication published by the United Nations, the draft proposal for Vesak Day was adopted without a vote.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Vesak Festival