As this is an important day for many Thai people, make sure you don’t do anything offensive before you set off to participate in any holiday activities. Read on to learn about the history behind the holiday and what this special day will be like in present-day Thailand.
The Legend Behind Makha Bucha as the Heart of Buddhism
As the story is so ancient, there’s no specific date for the holiday but every year Mahka Bucha falls on the full moon of the third lunar month. Tradition has it that 2,500 years ago 1,250 men of reverence spontaneously became enlightened and with no communication, notification or planning between them they all set out that day on their own initiative to find Buddha. Although this was a large-scale and unexpected event for Buddha, he ordained every one of them under the full moon.
Fourty five years later, on the same day as that great ordainment, Buddha delivered his most important teachings about the three following Buddhist principles: 1) eschew all evil, 2) do only what is good, and 3) cleanse the mind. In Thailand, these teachings have been dubbed the ‘Heart of Buddhism’.
Celebrating Makha Bucha Today in Thailand as a Buddhist
Traditionally, Buddhists will visit a “wat” in the morning and make merit, or give alms to monks, contributing money, clothing, food and other gifts to them and their temple. In the evening, temples are again full of people listening to sermons.
When night falls, monks and devout Buddhists will perform a procession called “Wien Tien.” In this ceremony monks and Buddhists will walk clockwise three times around the temple. holding flowers, incense and a lighted candle and incense stick. The three circles made in the procession symbolize the Three Jewels of Buddhism, namely the Buddha, the Dhamma (or teaching) and the Sangha (or monkhood).
Makha Bucha Today as a Non-Buddhist
You may notice that many Buddhists will wear white clothes, and many will eat only vegetarian food on this special day. As with all religious holidays in Thailand, Makha Bucha is meant to be an alcohol-free day, meaning that many bars will be closed and restaurants may not serve alcohol. Although obedience of this is not mandatory, a ban on the sale or serving of alcohol for 24 hours is practiced with varying degrees of compliance… Just in case, make sure you stock up in advance if you are not planning to comply with the alcohol ban.