Thadin Kyut full-moon day

Today is the great and special day for Myanmar peoples especially for Buddhists. In Myanmar calendars, today is "Tha Din Kyut" full-moon day.

It is the festival of lights on the full-moon day, one day before and one day after. Houses and streets in cities and towns are brilliantly illuminated. Pagodas are also crowded with people doing meritorious deeds. It is not only a time of joy but also of thanksgiving and playing homage to teachers, parents and elders, and asking pardon for whatever misdeeds in speech or thought they might have committed during the year, and elders also readily forgive if these is anything to forgive.

In the history of Buddha, Buddha went to the heaven (in Burmese "Nat Pyi") and preached for his mother who is in that heaven. After that, our lord Buddha went back to earth from heaven on this day. Many peoples welcomed back Buddha from earth with lots of lights along his coming back journey.

Therefore, Myanmar peoples light candles and other lighting materials in pagodas and their homes on "Tha Din Kyut" full-moon day. Buddhists go to pagoda and pay homage to our lord Buddha and make wishes. They also make various forms of donations to many places and also do many good things for society aiming at Buddha.

I am very sorry for being away from my motherland on "Tha Din Kyut" full-moon day. I lighted candles for Buddha at pagodas and in my home for many years on this day. But, now I am in Singapore and I cannot light candles with my parents and my relatives together. Anyway, I think I will light candles in my apartment today like previous years.
When I was in Myanmar, I went to pagodas with my friends happily on this full-moon day. We made parties and we also made lightening ceremony with many friends as a group. We went to homes of elders in our relatives and paid homage to them. I remember those happy days very much.

I sincerely wish and pray for my parents, my brother, my relatives and friends from my motherland as well as friends from Singapore to be peaceful, full of their wishes, happy and healthy aiming to Buddha on great "Tha Din Kyut" full-moon day.