reader Posted July 26, 2021 Posted July 26, 2021 From The Thaiger Asanha Bucha Day is a special Buddhist holiday in Thailand marking the day when the Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon at Benares in India over 2,500 years ago. The exact date of the holiday is determined by the waxing moon and the lunar months, but is usually held in July or August each year. In 2021 it falls on July 26. Today is also the start of the period of Buddhist Lent. There were to be 3 public holidays in a row – Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (HM The King’s birthday) this year but the Tuesday holiday was abandoned by the government as the Covid situation became worse. Asahna Bucha is a national Holiday in Thailand. It replaced Buddhist Lent as a gazetted holiday in 2007. The date in the western calendar depends on the Lunar cycle. It is also known as Asalha Puja or Dhamma Day. Because this years’ Asanha Bucha Day falls on a weekend day, Monday, July 26 has been named as a public holiday across Thailand. The Buddha preached his first sermon at a deer park and from this sermon the Dharma (doctrine) of the Buddha was symbolised as a wheel. The Dharmachakra is also known as the Wheel of Life, Wheel of Law or Wheel of Doctrine and can be seen on flags in temples and buildings all across Thailand. Similarly, pictures or models of deer can often be seen at temples or in depictions of the Buddha. https://thethaiger.com/news/national/today-is-asanha-bucha-day-why-is-the-day-special-for-thai-buddhists-public-holiday t0oL1 and TotallyOz 2 Quote
