2006-12-21 14:35:51 · 5 answers · asked by Bettie_T 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Other - Holidays
As a Buddhist of Chinese descent,I celebrate CNY by going to our Buddhist centre on the first day of CNY with my whole family.We usually bring along food to be offered to the monks as dana.
The Theravada monks in our centre will give dhamma talks and chant paritta of blessing.
2006-12-21 22:41:50 · answer #1 · answered by Anger eating demon 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My family are Buddhist living in Thailand. We don't celebrate Chinese New Year but are aware of it, I'll be there when it falls due at the end of January. I'm an Australian living and working in Saudi Arabia so am unable to celebrate Christmas either, in fact I'll be working all through the Christmas season, no overtime or such of course, its Hajj time in the Middle East so some of my colleagues are performing the pilgrimage and get time off for that then get time off for the Eid holiday afterwards...me..? I'll just have to cover for them.
I get to celebrate Christmas on the 13th January when I arrive home to Thailand, in fact I return home about every 13 weeks or so, my wonderful wife will still have the decoratons up for me when I get there and we'll go out to dinner for a little celebration, more to celebrate that we're together again rather than Christmas per se, We as Buddhists don't celebrate Christmas but do celebrate our reunion each year and it is always in January because that is when my vacation falls due.
If I was in Thailand for Christmas then we'd buy presents for the kids and have a party but it isn't the same as the western celebration.
Buddists have a tradition of giving gifts to each other to be generous, so I might receive a gift of fruit or a meal at odd times when I'm at home for no reason at all, just to give the gift is reason enough, and just to see the smile on the receiver's face is justification enough, I return the favour of course and then offer gifts to others to honour the giving of the gift to me. This tradition of gift giving throughout the year goes back many generations and is generally unknown to tourists and those unfamiliar to Thailand, it is even unknown among Thais as it is so common so is unnoticed. For example it is quite common for me to ask my neighbours to come with me to town in my car, knowing that they would be embarrassed to ask my permission to come with me, a simple greeting a smile and off we go, common decent behaviour. They are using me as a taxi...? No, I am giving a gift of a ride, why..? Because I can..and I prefer to do so...gifts are a wonderful idea but why just at Christmas....why not Christmas gifts all year round...do you think it might work...? I do...I really do..! Pay it forward I say don't pay it back.
Peace.......
2006-12-21 23:17:34 · answer #2 · answered by Gaz 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Probably the same as other days . The chinese new year falls
on an entirely different date than the one those of the gregorian calendar will have .But once it arrives they will have parade with the standard dragons and fireworks and the like . Go to china
town if you live in the US and see first hand .
2006-12-21 22:40:45 · answer #3 · answered by dogpatch USA 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
some chinese buddhists may abstain from eating meat for the 1st day of cny.
2006-12-21 22:48:05 · answer #4 · answered by sista! 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well its a three day celebration. There's lots of stuff going on like parades and well its like a HUGE party. I don't know how to describe all of it cuz there's so much!
2006-12-21 22:44:31 · answer #5 · answered by Human 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋