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2024-03-29 03:05


Wat Tampa Celebrations

Schedule for Wat Tampa Holidays in 2023.  Clicking on the link for the holiday displays an article on the holiday?

New Year's Day 2023 (Sunday, January 1, 2023)

Makha Puja Day 2023 (Sunday, February 05, 2023)

Songkarn Festival 2023 (Sunday April 9, 2023) 

Visakha Puja Day 2023 (Sunday June 4, 2023)

Kings Birth Day 2023 (Sunday July 23, 2023)

Asalha Puja Day / Buddhist Lent 2023 (Sunday July 30,2023)

Thai Mother Day 2023 (Sunday August 13, 2023)

Sart Thai Day 2023 (Sunday October 1, 2023)

The End of Buddhist Lent 2023 (Sunday October 29, 2023)

Kathina Ceremony 2023 (Sunday November 26, 2023)

Memorial to Phra Mongkol Themolee 2023 (Sunday December 3, 2023)

NOTE:  All events are subject to change according to appropriateness without prior notice.

   

Magha Puja Day From a Monk's Perspective

Editors Note:  The following was written by a Monk in the Thai Buddhist Temple in Fort Walton Beach, Florida and was published in the February 2019 Temple news letter.  What Tampa celebrates Thai holiday based on a Sunday close to the actual date based on the lunar calendar.

Magh Puja Day is one of the most important Buddhist celebrations which falls on the full moon day of the third lunar month (about last week of February or early of March).

This day marks the great four events that took place during Lord Buddha's lifetime, namely:

1) 1250 Buddhist monks from different places came to pay homage to Lord Buddha at Valuwan Vihara in Rajgaha, the capital of Magaha State, each of his own initiative and without prior notification or appointment.

2)  All of them were enlightened monks (or Arahantas)

3)  Al of them had been individually ordained by Lord Buddha himself (Ehi Bhikkhu)

(4)  They assembled on the full moon day of the third lunar month.

On the evening of that day, Lord Buddha gave the assembly a discourse "Ovadha Patimokha" laying down the principles of His Teachings summarized into three parts, i.e., to do good, to abstain from bad action and to purify the mind.

New Years Day 2024 - January 1, 2024

Welcome to Wat Mongkolratanaram (also know as Wat Tampa). Happy New Year!

Let me start today by quoting to you a traditional Thai New Years wish: "By the power of the Buddhist Triple Gems: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha - May you and your family be blessed with good health, beautiful, prosperous, long life, and be successful in your career and in life for the New Year. May all of these blessings and all your wishes be fulfilled."

Makha Puja Day - February 25, 2024

Makha Puja Day falls on the full moon day of the third lunar month. The date of all of the Thai festivals is based on the lunar calendar so the "American" dates vary from year to year. We will be celebrating Magha Puja Day at Wat Tampa on  Sunday, February 25, 2024.

Makha Puja Day from a Monk's perspective

This ceremony marks two important dates in the life of Buddha. The first event occurred two years after Buddha’s enlightenment and is referred to as the Fourfold assembly. These events were:

  • All 1,250 monks had achieved enlightenment.
  • These monks were ordained by Buddha himself
  • The monks assembled on their own without being called together.

Kings Birth Day - July 28, 2024

We will be celebrating the King's birthday at Wat Tampa on July 28, 2024 This celebration will be held after the Sunday Market and the Sunday religious service.  This ceremony typically involves presentation of "symbolic" gifts for the King.  

Thai Mothers Day - August 11, 2024

Her Majesty, Queen Sirikit of Thailand was born on August 12th, 1932. Thai Mothers Day is a celebration of the Queen's birthday as well as to honor mothers everywhere. The Queen is the symbolic mother of Thailand and is honored as the "First Mother". For almost sixty years, the Queen has stood by the Thai nation dedicating her time and efforts to the common good. For all of her endless devotion the people of Thailand are grateful.

Sart Thai Day - September 15, 2024

Sart Thai day will be celebrated at Wat Tampa on September 15, 2024 this year. Sart Thai day falls in the middle of the traditional Thai year. It occurs on the fifteenth day of the waning moon of the tenth lunar month (sometime during September).

The word Sart, derived from the Pali language, means season and in particular autumn or fall. Sart Thai day is also referred to as Memorial Day. This is not Memorial Day as Americans might assume. In Thailand, Sart Thai is a time to remember dead relatives with prayers, Buddhist rituals, and merit making on their behalf. 

The End of Buddhist Lent - Sunday October 13, 2024

This ceremony marks the end of Buddhist lent and is being celebrated at Wat Tampa on Sunday, October 13, 2024. This year the celebration will also include the Kathina Ceremony.

The first day of Thai Lent is referred to as Asalha Puja Day (or Commencement Day). This holiday will be celebrated at Wat Tampa on July 14 this year. The date of all of the Thai festivals is based on the lunar calendar so the "American" dates vary from year to year. You may also here Lent referred to as the "rains retreat."

Kathina Ceremony 2023 - November 10, 2024

The Kathina Ceremony will be celebrated at Wat Tampa on Sunday November 10, 2024. This ceremony is the culmination of events that started with the "rains retreat" or start on Lent. The Kathina (or Royal Krathina) occurs shortly after the end of Lent for the reasons explained below.

During Lent (roughly the rainy season in Thailand) monks could not travel.The monks stayed overnight in the same temple for three lunar months. The Kathina ceremony originates from the time of Buddha. The original ceremony was for a group of monks traveling to meet Lord Buddha. They were unable to completed their journey before the beginning of the rains retreat (Lent). At the end of Lent they completed their journey. Their clothes had become soaked and dirty on their way to meet Lord Buddha. When Buddha saw their condition he allowed lay people to offer the monks yellow robes. The tradition of presenting robes to monks continues today in the Kathina ceremony.

Memorial to Phra Mongkol Thepemolee - December 6, 2024

The Temple will celebrate the Memorial Ceremony on December 6, 2024 for Phra Mongkol Thepemolee. He founded Wat Tampa in the mid 1980's.  Details of the celebration will be updated when available.

New Years Day 2021 - January 1, 2021

Welcome to Wat Mongkolratanaram (also know as Wat Tampa). Happy New Year! Temnple will celebrate New years Day 2021 on January 1, 2021

Let me start today by quoting to you a traditional Thai New Years wish: "By the power of the Buddhist Triple Gems: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha - May you and your family be blessed with good health, beautiful, prosperous, long life, and be successful in your career and in life for the New Year. May all of these blessings and all your wishes be fulfilled."

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