Bodhi Day, a Buddhist holiday that is celebrated on December 8, commemorates the day Siddhartha Gautama attained awakening and became the Buddha nearly 2,600 years ago. Although this holiday may seem foreign to some, seeing as it is celebrated most commonly in East Asia, one might be surprised to learn that the traditions associated with it are not all that different from many holiday festivities popular in the US.
According to a website that celebrates many religions, Bodhi Day is when “Buddhists around the world celebrate Gautama’s attainment of Enlightenment in 596 BCE on this day while sitting under a bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, in Northern India.” Because this was the birthplace of the Buddha’s Enlightenment and this tradition, Bodhi Gaya is considered to be the most sacred of holy places. “Bodhi Day is celebrated in many mainstream Mahayana traditions, including Zen, and in Pure Land Buddhist schools in China, Japan, and Korea,” according to the same website (reonline.org.uk).
According to US News and World Reports, there are a number of ways to celebrate Bodhi Day including decorating trees with colorful lights or candles and having special family meals or engaging in acts of kindness and generosity, which is also called “dana,” to reflect on the Buddha’s teaching and improve one’s karma, which is believed to be how a person’s words, actions and thoughts have consequences, whether they be good or bad (usnews.com).
Many people celebrate this day with traditions to commemorate the Buddha’s achievements and how they impact modern Buddhists, according to a website about Buddhism. Many choose to commemorate the day with meditation, chanting Buddhist texts, the study of the Dharma, or performing kind acts for other people. Other Buddhists like to celebrate with cake or readings. Traditionally, people make a specialized dish of milk rice to represent the first meal offered to the Budda, by a girl named Sujata, after his days of fasting and meditation (buddhanet.net).
An important symbol that is used to signify this day is a leaf from a bodhi tree. One website about Buddhist history explains that it represents Siddhartha Gautama’s awakening on this day under this tree. Because of the tree’s heart shaped leaves, it is believed to symbolize a bright and uplifting energy along with playfulness and thoughtfulness. The original tree in Bodh Gaya still stands today in the same spot where the Buddha was awakened (buddhistsymbols.org).
Buddhism has influenced many people all over the world. On National Public Radio (NPR), Reverend Dr. Takashi Miyaji said, “Buddhism teaches that all things have Buddha nature or the potential to become a Buddha. And so Buddha is the enlightened one. It is a state of true liberation from this world of confusion and delusion. So you might ask, you know, what is the purpose for becoming a Buddha? Well, the Buddha is one who has kind of realized the universal truth and can see the true nature of existence just as it is” (npr.org).
Sophomore Sara Malibari said, “I don’t personally celebrate the holiday, but I have friends outside of school who celebrate it. I really love how they enjoy and share their culture with me and tell me how they celebrate it with family. My friends tell me about how having a day for them to celebrate being Buddhists and their families also being Buddhists. So this culture has shown me how diverse America is culturally, knowing many cultures celebrate this holiday, especially in Asia, but also here.”
Although people of India, Japan, China and Korea are the primary countries that celebrate this holiday, many Buddhists in the United States do too. It is a celebration of enlightenment and a time to do good deeds.