Mahayana New Year

When is Mahayana New Year 2024?

The first full moon in January marks the beginning of the new year in the countries which follow the Mahayana Buddhism beliefs.

Although the Buddhist New Year falls on a different day, it depends upon ethnicity and country. For example, Chinese, Koreans, and Vietnamese hold their celebrations in correspondence with the lunar calendar, either late January or early February. Whereas Tibetans usually celebrate roughly one month later.

The largest category of Buddhism is Mahayana. Mahayana Buddhists consider that any person can obtain enlightenment in his current lifetime. They think that knowledge can be made not only by nuns and monks but also by ordinary Buddhists. The goal of religion is to help people, achieve understanding through good deeds, and by following the teachings of Buddha.

How people celebrate Mahayana New Year?

People visit this day to the nearest local Buddhist temple, pray and glorify the Buddha. This festival is about his life and new beginnings. You can also make some offerings for the monks and the temple. Just remember the rules of the temple, which they strictly follow. You should pray for a successful year under his guidance. An everyday activity for this day is to bathe the statue of Buddha. People understand that this method enables one to overcome all negative thoughts. To do this, you can pour water on your Buddha statue and think clearly about your negative thoughts then focus on the right sides.

You can also bring the celebration of this day on social media. You can use the hashtag #MahayanaNewYear to tell your friends and followers that you are participating in the celebration of this day.

• "May your days be as glittery as a diamond, may your friends be as good as gold, may your heart stay as green as an emerald, and may your soul remain as pure as a pearl."
• Happy New Year! Always welcome the new morning with a new spirit, a smile on your face, love in your heart, and good thoughts in your mind."
• "An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea." – Buddha
• "The ego's root feeling is that if I do not hold myself together, there will be a falling apart into something chaotic and stressful. So there is anxiety, energetic anxiety which is located in the body, in the whole active system of the body and interpersonal turbulence reminds us again and again 'If I don't keep it together, I will get in trouble.'" – Dalai Lama
• "Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind." – Buddha

Mahayana New Year Observances

Martin Luther King Day

Martin Luther King Day observed on the 3rd Monday of January every year. This Day celebrates on the birthday of the exp....

Labor Day

Labor Day is one of the ten national holidays in the United States. It celebrates on the first Monday of September. Labor ....

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, which recognized as the Day of Atonement. It falls on the tenth day....