Buddhist calendar facts for kids
The Buddhist calendar is a special way of keeping track of time. It is used in many countries in Southeast Asia, like Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. This calendar helps people know when to celebrate important Buddhist holidays and events. It is based on an older calendar system from India, called the Hindu calendar.
Contents
What is the Buddhist Calendar?
The Buddhist calendar is a lunisolar calendar. This means it uses both the Moon and the Sun to measure time. It tracks the phases of the Moon for months and the Earth's orbit around the Sun for years. This is different from the Gregorian calendar we use, which is a solar calendar.
How Does it Work?
A lunisolar calendar tries to keep its months aligned with the Moon's cycles. It also keeps its years aligned with the Sun's cycle. This can be tricky because 12 lunar months are shorter than a solar year. To fix this, an extra month is added every few years. This extra month is called an "intercalary month." It helps the calendar stay in sync with the seasons.
Months and Days
The months in the Buddhist calendar are based on the Moon's phases. A new month usually starts with the new moon. The length of months can be 29 or 30 days. A normal year has 12 months. A leap year, with the extra month, has 13 months.
Years and Eras
The Buddhist calendar counts years from the time of Gautama Buddha's passing into Parinirvana. This event is called the Buddha Era or Buddhist Era (BE). The exact starting year can be a little different in various countries. For example, in Thailand, the year 2024 in the Gregorian calendar is 2567 BE. This is because the Thai Buddhist calendar starts 543 years before the Gregorian calendar.
Where is it Used?
The Buddhist calendar is very important in countries with strong Buddhist traditions.
- Thailand: It is the official calendar alongside the Gregorian calendar. Many public documents and signs show dates in BE.
- Myanmar (Burma): It is widely used for religious and traditional purposes.
- Cambodia, Laos, and Sri Lanka: These countries also use variations of the Buddhist calendar for religious events.
Even though these countries use the Buddhist calendar, they often use the Gregorian calendar for international business and daily life.
Important Festivals
The Buddhist calendar is key for celebrating many important festivals. These festivals often happen on specific moon phases.
- Vesak (Buddha Day): This is the most important Buddhist holiday. It celebrates the birth, enlightenment, and passing of Buddha. It usually falls on the full moon day of the sixth lunar month.
- Asalha Puja (Dhamma Day): This day marks Buddha's first sermon. It is celebrated on the full moon of the eighth lunar month.
- Magha Puja (Sangha Day): This festival celebrates a gathering of 1,250 of Buddha's disciples. It is observed on the full moon of the third lunar month.
These festivals are times for reflection, visiting temples, and performing good deeds. The calendar helps communities worldwide celebrate these events together.
Images for kids
-
Thailand's version of the lunisolar Buddhist calendar
See also
In Spanish: Calendario budista para niños
