Today is Visakha Puja Day, the most significant of all of the Buddhist holidays in Thailand. Visakha Puja marks three key events in the life of the Lord Buddha; his birthday, the day he attained enlightenment and the day he died and passed into nirvana. All of these events took place on the full moon day of the sixth lunar month (known as the Visakha month).
The exact date of Visakha Puja varies from year to year depending on the date of the full moon but it is usually in May. On Visakha Puja Day, Thai Buddhists will make merit and try to visit their local temple where there will be ‘wian tian’ ceremonies. This involves holding flowers, incense and a lighted candle and then walking around the outside of the main part of the temple.
