Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Many Koreans are Buddhists. There are Buddhist temples all across the count. That being the case, Buddha's Birthday is recognized as a public holiday in Korea. It is April 8th on the rural calendar. It usually lands on a day between late April and early May on the solar calendar. The streets are decorated with lotus lanterns to commemorate this day. They create a quite beautiful sight. There are also many parades that are held in Seoul and other cities. They are a good way to get into the spirit of the holiday. These parades often have dancers, music, and dragons. Another tradition on this day is to visit temples where people offer gifts to monks. People can enjoy free food and tea there.

It's Buddha's Birthday today.

Yes, I've heard that. I've heard there will be a large parade downtown.

Uh-huh. You shouldn't miss it.

I'm thinking of going to see it.