Calendar

The sequence of events for religious days goes something like this:

Early in the morning, people begin to arrive at the temple wearing their best clothes. They bring food prepared at home, usually in highly decorative gold or silver bowls, and set it out to be offered to the monks later. There is a ceremony with monks chanting blessings and the presiding monk reads one of Buddhas sermons. The food is then offered to the buddha for the monks. After this breakfast, the people are blessed by the monks. The people request the food back then eat the food returned by the monks in a communal meal. The men are usually separate from the women. After this another ceremony is held with the monks leading a procession making three complete circuits of the main temple building. Sometimes it is a candle light procession. This event signifies the end of the celebrations.


	January 2, 2011 วันขื้นปี ใหม่	The beginning of the western new year is a national holiday in Thailand, one of three "new year" holidays celebrated every year. Sa Wat Dee Pee Mai!
	February 28, 2011 - Magha Puja 10 am - 3 pm	- Also called Macha Bucha it is the celebration of the time when the 1250 disciples all gathered to hear Lord Buddha speak without being summoned.
	March 19, 20, 2011	Phravetsandone - Celebrate Life of Buddha
	April 10, 2011 - Songkran วันสงกรานต์	Songkran is the traditional Thai new year, generally celebrated as a water festival. One of the biggest celebrations at the temple. The "SONGKRAN" festival happens in the hot season in half of april. This festival happens in all Buddhist "THERAVADA" countries like Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Burma. Songkran is the ancient New Year's Day. Now the official New Year's Day happens the 1^{st January. But the most popular feast is still "SONGKRAN". A good time to visit.}
	May 1, 2011	Memorial Service
	May 17, 2011 - Vesakha Puja	^{- Vesak Day This is the anniversary of when Lord Buddha was born, died and reached enlightenment. There will be a ceremony at the temple during the day starting at 9:30 AM. In the evening the Wat is participating in the Candlelight Ceremony for World Peace at the Dhammakaya International Meditation Center in Azusa CA}
	June 19 2011	Memorial Service
	July 14, 2011 - Asalha Puja	- Asalha Puja commemorates the first sermon of the Buddha. This is the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, meaning the sutra (sermon of the Buddha) "setting the wheel of dhamma [ dharma] in motion." In this sermon, the Buddha explained his doctrine of the Four Noble Truths.
	^{July 15,16 2011}^{Khao Phansa}	The beginning of the Vassa (Buddhist Lenten season)Vassa, the Rains Retreat, begins the day after Asalha Puja. During Vassa, monks remain in monasteries and intensify their meditation practice. Laypeople participate by bringing food, candles and other necessities to monks. They also sometimes give up eating meat, smoking, or luxuries during Vassa, which is why Vassa is sometimes called the "Buddhist Lent."
	August 20, 2011	Memorial Service
	September 11, 2011	Memorial Service
	October 12, 2011 Awk Phansa Pavarana and End of Vassa	This day marks the end of the Vassa retreat. Vassa, or "Rain Retreat," sometimes called the Buddhist "Lent," is a three-month period of intensive meditation and practice. The retreat is a tradition that began with the first Buddhist monks, who would spend the Indian monsoon season secluded together.
	October 16, 2011 Kathin (Thawt Katin) วัน ปวารณา ออก พรรษา	This day is a religious event. The three months of the rain retreat is over for monks. Monks are allowed to go out of temples overnight. Robes offering ceremonies ("THOT KATHIN" - ทอดกฐิน) happen everywhere in Thailand. Thai people choose temples everywhere in Thailand and take clothes, food for the monks there. Some people sponsor the entire celebration for a temple to make special merit. "THOT KATHIN" ceremonies last one month.
	November 12, 2011 Loy Kratong วันลอย กระทง	Loi Krathong is a religious event which happens every year on the full moon of the 12th lunar month (first full moon day of November). All Thai people buy or make a "KRATHONG". It is made of styrofoam surrounded by banana leaves, with flowers, incense, and a candle in the middle. Then in the evening, Thai people go to places where there is a river or a pond to launch their "KRATHONG". Not a national holiday, but an evening when Thais pay respect to the goddess of the waters by floating candlelit offerings on any and all waterways around the kingdom. They place all their resentments and displeasures on these rafts to drift away from their lives.
	Dec 4, 2011	Celebration

July 14, 2011 - Asalha Puja

October 12, 2011

Awk Phansa

Pavarana and End of Vassa