James Baquet

    Any discussion of Buddhist holidays can become quite complicated. They usually are determined not by the Western calendar, but by any one of a number of traditional lunar-type calendars. Most traditions developed in isolation from each other so — just as in the Christian traditions the eastern Orthodox and the Western churches may celebrate Easter on different days (though they sometimes coincide) — various countries and cultures celebrate Buddhist observances on different dates.

    Also, some Asian cultures have moved some of their dates to the Western calendar, and furthermore, in this age of easier communication and reducing isolation, some schools have agreed to synchronize their celebrations with those of other cultures.

    In the Theravada Schools — sometimes pejoratively called the “Hinayana” or “Lesser Vehicle”, found in the southern Buddhist countries — one date suffices for all three of the major events in the Buddha’s life: his birth, his attainment of enlightenment, and his death (or “Final Nirvana”). This date is commonly called “Vesak,” though there are many forms of the name. Informally called “The Buddha’s birthday,” it usually accommodates all three of the major events cited, and can be celebrated on the full-moon day of April, May, or June, depending on the school.

    In the Mahayana tradition found in East Asia, the three events are separate. The birth is most commonly on a date similar to Vesak (and may be identical), though in Japan it is always on April 8 (analogous to the “eighth day of the fourth month” in traditional calendars). There it is called Hanamatsuri or “Flower Festival.”

    Celebration of the enlightenment is generally determined by the date of the full moon in December (or sometimes January), though in Japan it is fixed on Dec. 8. English speakers call it “Bodhi Day,” after the Sanskrit word for “enlightenment.”

    Finally, the Buddha’s death, or attainment of “Final Nirvana,” can be celebrated on widely disparate dates, but these days it is often placed on Feb. 15 or, less commonly, Feb. 8.

    Vocabulary:

    Which word above means:

    1. of a different kind

    2. a means of communicating

    something

    3. apart (from)

    4. followers of one master or way of thought

    5. corresponding to

    6. named; mentioned

    7. happen at the same time (as)

    8. cause to happen at the same time

    9. insultingly

    10. includes; makes room for