By Abbey C.
Staff Writer

Many religious holidays come in December, including Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, but there is one that doesn’t get a lot of recognition in America called Bodhi Day.

Bodhi day is a holiday that happens every year on Dec. 8. There is also a Lunar Bodhi Day, and the next one will be Jan. 24, 2024.

Bodhi Day celebrates the “Historic Buddha.” He is known as Siddhartha Gautama, who became the first Buddhist teacher. It’s celebrated because of him and how we brilliantly “experienced enlightenment,” as it says on Bodhiday.org.

Sometimes, when others think of a celebration, for example Fourth of July, they think of fireworks, parades, barbeque, festival, etc., but Buddhists do absolutely none of that.

What Buddhists usually do to celebrate Bodhi Day on Dec. 8 is meditate and pray, but the most important Buddhist tradition is to study the Dharma: the teachings of Buddha.

There are well-known holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc., but you can get to know and understand more cultural holidays.