Buddha's Birthday

사월초파일_2009_부여, 관등놀이_서울

Buddha's Birthday in 2009 in Buyeo-gun, Chungcheongnam-do	Lantern Ceremony in Seosan City, Chungcheongnam-do	Lantern Festival in Seoul

Buddha's Birthday is held each year on May 22 to celebrate the birth of Shakyuamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. "Chopail" (初八日) is also called "The Day Buddha Came," "Bultanil" (佛誕日), "Yukbullil" (浴佛日), or "Seoktanil" (釋誕日). Along with Renunciation Day (釋迦出家日) on February 8, Nirvana Day (涅槃日) on February 15 and Bohdi Day (成道日) on December 8, Buddha's Birthday is one of the four major Buddhist holidays.

In Korea, one of the major seasonal holidays celebrating the birth and origins of Buddhism is not the Buddha's real birthday. Only Korea and Japan celebrate the birthday on April 8 of the lunar calendar. Japan changed the date from April 8 on the lunar calendar to the solar calendar to celebrate Buddha's Birthday. Other Buddhist countries in Southeast Asia celebrate the day in May or June. Buddha's birthday can be understood as the symbolic day on which spring, the season when all living matter comes to life, is celebrated.

연등행사_2008_순천

Lantern Events in 2008 in Suncheon City, Jeollanam-do

Lantern and Buddha Bathing (浴佛) are the two most important events held to celebrate this festive occasion. "Yeondeung" (燃燈)) in Korean originally meant to "light up lanterns," but today it means to "hang lanterns." Thus, events whose original purpose was to "light up" lanterns are now held to "hang up lanterns." The lanterns used to be made in diverse shapes and sizes, but these days most of them take the shape of a lotus flower. The lotus flower was adopted to symbolize the meaning in Buddhism, because the lotus grows in mud and blooms into a clean flower floating on the surface of water.

욕불행사_2009_서산

Buddhist Bathing Event in 2009 in Seosan City, Chungcheongnam-do

The Buddhist Bathing ritual, on the other hand, derives from the legend of the "Guryong" (九龍), in other words the "nine heavenly dragons" who descended to earth to bathe the newborn Shakyuamuni. Today the ritual is performed by placing a statue of the newborn Buddha (誕生佛) in a large basin (浴佛器) whereupon the faithful take turns pouring water on it. Both the lantern-handing and Buddha bathing events are symbolic rituals that commemorate the day when Buddha gave all creatures mercy and enlightenment while lighting up the wisdom of the people.