In short: The main Theravāda Buddhist holidays fall on full moon days, so their dates move each year. Here are the 2027 dates as observed in Thailand, what each day remembers, and a simple way to keep it at home. Dates follow the lunar calendar and can be adjusted by the authorities; check your local temple or official calendar closer to the time.
| Holiday | 2027 date (Thailand) | What it remembers |
|---|---|---|
| Makha Bucha | Sunday 21 February (holiday Monday 22 Feb) | 1,250 disciples gathering to hear the heart of the teaching |
| Visakha Bucha (Vesak) | Thursday 20 May | The Buddha's birth, awakening and final passing |
| Āsāḷha Bucha | Sunday 18 July (holiday Monday 19 Jul) | The first sermon |
| Khao Phansa | Monday 19 July | The start of the three-month rains retreat |
Sources: Time Out Bangkok and Calendar Labs, Thailand 2027 holiday calendars. Vesak is observed on different days in other countries.
Makha Bucha: the heart of the teaching
Tradition says that on this full moon, 1,250 enlightened disciples came to the Buddha without being called, and he gave them a summary of the whole teaching, the Ovāda Pāṭimokkha. Its best-known verse is:
Not to do any evil; to embrace the good; to purify one's mind: this is the instruction of the Buddhas.
Dhammapada 183, translated by Bhikkhu Sujato. Read the chapter: Dhammapada chapter 14.
At home: take the Five Precepts in the morning; in the evening, light a candle and walk slowly three times around a Buddha image or a quiet space, as people do at temples (wian tian).
Read the full guide
Visakha Bucha (Vesak): birth, awakening and passing
The most important day of the Buddhist year remembers three events said to fall on the same full moon of the sixth lunar month: the Buddha's birth, his awakening, and his final passing. Read his last words: "Conditions fall apart. Persist with diligence."
At home: keep the Eight Precepts for the day, meditate, and do one generous act.
Āsāḷha Bucha: the first sermon
This full moon remembers the Buddha's first teaching to five companions near Varanasi, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, which set out the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.
At home: read or chant the first sermon, slowly, one section at a time.
Khao Phansa: the rains retreat
The day after Āsāḷha Bucha, monks begin a three-month rains retreat, staying in one monastery. Lay people often make a resolution for the season: to keep a precept, give up alcohol, or meditate daily. In Thailand, people offer candles and robes to monasteries.
At home: choose one small practice to keep for three months, such as a daily 3-minute practice.
Uposatha days
Between the big holidays, every full and new moon (and the half moons) is an Uposatha day (wan phra), a weekly-ish holy day for keeping precepts and visiting the temple.
This year: the end of the Rains Retreat 2026 (Pavāraṇā).
Each day explained: Māgha Pūjā · Vesak · Āsāḷha Pūjā · end of the Rains Retreat
Try it
Begin today with your teaching card and a 3-minute practice.
Questions people ask
When is Vesak 2027?
In Thailand, Visakha Bucha (Vesak) falls on Thursday 20 May 2027. Other countries may observe Vesak on a different day, because each follows its own lunar calendar.
When is Makha Bucha 2027?
Sunday 21 February 2027 in Thailand, with Monday 22 February as the substitute public holiday.
What is Asalha Bucha?
The full moon day that remembers the Buddha's first sermon, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta. In 2027 it falls on 18 July in Thailand, followed by the start of the rains retreat (Khao Phansa) on 19 July.