Magha puja day

Magha puja day is considered one of the most important Buddhist celebrations. It refers to the worship that takes place on the full moon of the third lunar month (about the last week of February or early March) to commemorate the day on which Lord Buddha recited the "Ovadha Patimokkha" (the Fundamental Teaching) to his disciples.

Magha Puja day marks the four auspicious occasions, which are; * The time of the full moon in the third lunar month. * 1,250 Buddhist monks from differents places came to pay homage to the Lord Buddha at Veluwan Temple in Rajgaha City of Magaha State, without any appointment, * all of them were Arahants (enlightened monks) who had attained the Apinyas (Six Higher Knowledges), * all of them had been individually ordained by Lord Buddha himself (Ehi Bhikkhu).

These great four events took place on Magha Puja day,and these were called ?Jaturongkasannibath? . The lord Buddha then delivered a discourse and gave his sermon known as ?Ovadha Patimokha? to those Arahantas.The main theme are;
* Not to commit any kind of sins * Shall do only good * Shall purify one?s mind

Magha Puja Day was never celebrated in Thai kingdom. King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) explained that ".the Magha Puja was never performed, the ceremony has just been practised during the reign of King Mongkrut (Rama IV) of the Chakri Dynasty". Having realized the importance of this day, King Rama IV ordered the royal Magha Puja Ceremony to be performed in the Emerald Buddha Temple in 1851 and to celebrate it yearly. 
Later the ceremony was widely accepted and performed throughout the kingdom. It was declared to be a public holiday back then so everybody could go to the temple to make merit and perform other religious activities in the morning and to take part in the candlelit procession or "Wien Tien" in the evening