The Theravada Buddhist festival

The Asanha Bucha day in Thailand, is a Buddhist festival that takes place in July at the full moon of the 6th lunar month. The day is marked by bringing gifts to the temples and listening to sermons.

Buddha is said to have given his first speech to 5 students in public on this day. This gathering by Buddha is depicted on some temples.

It is striking how many people visit the temples with gifts. These can be bought at the temple or in neighboring shops. Candles with candlesticks, clothes for the monks, buckets filled with various things. In the temples, people are addressed and blessed in the Viharns (meeting rooms). Many also walk around the temple grounds to spend Bahtjes on other things. Bells can be bought, on which the names of, for example, family are written. Roof tiles, signed by the donor as a grant for the temple.

The most striking thing was the circle with numbers from 1 - 28. Put 20 baht in it and a note corresponding to the number indicated indicates a message for the giver. The interesting thing is that these numbers are exactly the same as those used in a casino. Only from 29 to 36 the numbers of this device are absent. Also the order is exactly the same! So next to number 23 numbers 8, 11, 13 will appear on the left, and on the right next to numbers 23, 10, 5, 24, and so on. Did Buddha have foresight or do the casinos believe that these earlier numbers of Buddha involve a certain amount of luck? The fact that it stops at 28 probably has to do with the earlier “moon” days

For many people it is also a day off, noticeable by the crowds at the temples and on a number of roads. Public buildings are closed and alcohol is taboo! This year the junta would carry out additional checks. In the evening parties are organized at or in the vicinity of the temples.