📅 holiday

Birthday of Buddha

Sunday, May 24, 2026

— days to go

This national holiday in Hong Kong celebrates the birthday of Buddha and also goes by other names such as Lord Buddha’s Birthday and the Buddha Bathing Festival. In 2027, Birthday of Buddha falls on Thursday 13 May. The holiday will be on Tuesday 2 May in 2028. Buddha’s Birthday is celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, during April in the Gregorian calendar. It has been observed as a holiday in Hong Kong since Britain returned to rule of Hong Kong to China in 1997. In Hong Kong, devotees of Buddha visit temples especially the great Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island. This monastery is about one-and-a-half hours from Hong Kong and is accessible by car as well as serviced buses, cable cars and ferries. People also pay homage at the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery at Sha Tin – which is not really a monastery as there are no resident monks. Po Lin Monastery holds the world’s tallest, outdoor, seated, bronze Buddha statue, and this makes it a destination for followers and also a major tourist attraction. The key ceremony across much of Buddhism on this day is the bathing of small statues of Buddha to honour of the belief that, as a baby, Buddha’s body was sprayed with water from nine dragons. Hong Kong also holds other events on this holiday. The Cheung Chau Bun Festival of Floating Colours has its origins in a ritual held to protect fishermen from pirates. This festival lasts for seven days and includes, on Buddha’s Birthday, a parade of floats and musicians and is held on the island of Cheung Chau. Buddha’s Birthday is a public holiday but tourist attractions, restaurants, public transport and shops will all be open and operating. There will be large crowds everywhere so be sure to plan well ahead.

History

This national holiday in Hong Kong celebrates the birthday of Buddha and also goes by other names such as Lord Buddha’s Birthday and the Buddha Bathing Festival. It has been observed as a holiday in Hong Kong since Britain returned to rule of Hong Kong to China in 1997. Hong Kong also holds other events on this holiday. The Cheung Chau Bun Festival of Floating Colours has its origins in a ritual held to protect fishermen from pirates

How It's Celebrated

This national holiday in Hong Kong celebrates the birthday of Buddha and also goes by other names such as Lord Buddha’s Birthday and the Buddha Bathing Festival. The holiday will be on Tuesday 2 May in 2028. Buddha’s Birthday is celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth month of the Chinese lunar c

Other Years

2027 Thu

13 May

2028 Tue

2 May

2026 Sun

24 May

2025 Mon

5 May

Countries

🇭🇰 HK

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📅 holiday Feb 10

Feast of St Paul's Shipwreck

The Feast of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck is a holiday unique to Malta because it was on Malta that the Apostle Paul was shipwrecked around the year A.D. 60. In 2027, Feast of St Paul's Shipwreck falls on Wednesday 10 February. The holiday will be on Thursday 10 February in 2028. The feast is kept on February 10th each year, and as Paul is the patron saint of Malta, it is a much-anticipated event. Out of dozens of “saint days” on the church calendar in Malta, the Feast of Saint Paul is one of only a handful that have the status of a national holiday. The account of Paul’s shipwreck and three-month, wintertime stay on Malta is found in the Bible’s Acts 27:27 through 28:11. He was being taken to Rome as a prisoner to eventually stand trial before Caesar. God let him know in advance he would be shipwrecked but would spare the lives of all on board, which promise was later kept and in answer to Paul’s prayers for their lives. The Bible says the storm was in the Adriatic Sea, though Malta borders the Ionian Sea, because in ancient times, the Adriatic’s boundaries were considered to extend much farther south. The ship broke up on the rocks near the shores of Malta, and all swam ashore. The local population greeted them, but thought he might be a murderer whom the “goddess of justice” had finally caught up with after he was bitten by a poisonous snake. After he lived, however, they supposed him to be, perhaps, a god. Paul, however, soon showed them it was God’s power at work in a mere man by healing the governor of the island, Publius, and many others who were sick or disabled among the island’s population. No doubt, Paul preached the Gospel to them as well, and when he left Malta, the inhabitants gave him all necessary supplies out of gratitude. The Feast of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck is kept at the “Parish Church of Saint Paul Shipwrecked” in Malta’s capital city of Valletta. It is also a day of processions and family get-togethers. Three things to do should you visit Malta, though hopefully not be shipwrecked there, on February 10th are:

📅 holiday Feb 23

Defender of the Fatherland Day

Defender of the Fatherland Day is a public holiday in RU.

📅 holiday Mar 19

St Joseph's Day

Every 19 March is celebrated as Saint Joseph’s Day in Roman Catholic cantons of the Swiss Confederation. In 2027, St Joseph's Day falls on Friday 19 March. The holiday will be on Sunday 19 March in 2028. However, in recent years, people have paid it less and less mind, and many local businesses in these regions don’t even close on Saint Joseph’s Day like they used to. Interestingly, there are two different religious feast days dedicated to Joseph in Roman Catholicism. Saint Joseph’s Day focuses on his role as the husband of Mary and “step father” of the child Jesus. But on 1 May, Saint Joseph the Worker day focuses on his role as the patron saint of all carpenters. There aren’t many events in areas of Switzerland celebrating Saint Joseph’s Day on 19 March. For those who have the day off, it is often spent relaxing, shopping or getting outdoors in the Spring weather.

CHESVA +1

📅 holiday Mar 30

Seward's Day

Seward’s Day commemorates the signing of the treaty with the Russian Empire on 30 March 1867 that secured the purchase of Alaska. This holiday differs from Alaska Day, which commemorates the “formal actual transfer” of Alaska. In 2027, Seward's Day falls on Monday 29 March. The holiday will be on Monday 27 March in 2028. The treaty was single-handedly negotiated by Secretary of State William Seward, which arranged for the vast territory’s purchase at only $7.2 million. Russia was willing to sell because, at the time, Alaska was costing them more to maintain as a territory than it was producing in revenues. Thus, Seward was mocked by many and his purchase dubbed “Seward’s Folly” and, other times, “Seward’s Icebox.” However, in 1897, the discovery of gold in the Klondike River and the subsequent Alaska Gold Rush quelled the objections of “the doubters.” Seward, having passed away in 1872, never lived to witness his vindication. Later, the discovery of large oil, gas, and coal deposits and the development of the lumber and fishing industries proved once again how valuable Alaska was economically. Another factor to remember is that the removal of Russian influence from the North American continent was a significant political benefit the U.S. gained from the deal. Seward’s Day is observed every final Monday of March in Alaska, and many are off work or school. There are events held every year in Anchorage, Sitka, and Seward.