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Bodhi Day & Rohatsu

Bodhi Day & Rohatsu

Last updated on: December 4, 2025 at 12:45 pm by James Ford

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Bodhi Day & Rohatsu 2025-12-04T12:45:58-08:00 James Ford

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Tian Tan Buddha, the “Big Buddha” at Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. Photo by Beria Lima de Rodriguez

December 8th.

Bodhi Day.

Rohatsu…

It is, as is said in some circles, right and good to mark the significant events of someone’s life. In the case of great spiritual figures these can become major cultural as well as religious dates.

Of course, in the case of spiritual figures the significance of these events might not be noticed at the time they were living. So, we end up with dates like Christmas, which was according to the Philocalian calendar starting being observed by around 336 in our common era. And if you’re fast with your numbers, you notice it’s well over three centuries after Jesus’ death.

The same is so for the Buddha and the significant markers in his life.

Like for some scholars in the 19th century wondering whether there even was a historical Jesus, questions of the Buddha’s historicity have also been asked. (And answered. Here’s a good overview.)

The three great festivals of the Buddha’s life mark his birth, his awakening, and his death. But at this late date it’s impossible to know when these events actually occurred.

So dates were picked.

It appears the three events, birth, awakening, and death were at first celebrated together on a single date commonly known as Bodhi Day. From when, well, who is to say? The oldest attestation seems to be found in Chinese records dating to the third century of our common era. That date was, in the lunar calendar, the first full moon of Vaisākha, which is roughly May, although sometimes in April. It has considerable antiquity. And many scholars assume the tradition dates back to near the time of the Buddha.

The triple holiday is commonly called Vesak and is celebrated today in Theravadin cultures from Sri Lanka to Cambodia. By the early Twentieth century and the near universality of the western Solar calendar, this triple holiday became the full moon of May. This was even recognized by a United Nations resolution in 1999.

Vesak has become an international holiday.

And.

The Mahayana generally celebrates three holidays for these three events. So, for the Buddha’s birth, the 8th day of the 4th lunar month. Which is that April/May month. For his awakening, the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, which is usually mid-December. And his death, his Parinirvāna is observed on the 15th day of the 2nd lunar month, in February and on occasion early March.

During the Meiji reformations in Japan these dates were all fixed with the near universal solar calendar established first in Europe. The Buddha’s birth, called Hanamatsuri, the flower festival, is on the 8th of April. His great awakening, jōdō-e still Bodhi Day is set as the 8th of December. And his Parinirvāna, Nehan-e, is set at the 15th of February.

With that, we’re coming on the 8th of December. Bodhi Day. And with that Rōhatsu.

Rōhatsu literally means the 8th day of the 12th month. And it is the unique observation found in the Zen schools.

It is a critical moment in the Zen calendar with origins in China, were originally it was seen as a time for repentance, purification, and hard practice. Sometime roughly in the 14th century in Japan it became that intensive meditation retreat, culminating in the all-night sit the night before the 8th.

In any case, whether observed within an intensive meditation retreat, or as a holiday, something deep and worthy is being noticed.

So wishing all of you a blessed Bodhi Day,

Happiness of the season!

And if your life takes you toward a Rohatsu retreat, may you too, notice the deep truths of the morning star along with Gautama Siddhartha, from that moment, the Buddha.

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