April 8 every year is celebrated by all representatives of the Buddhist religion International Buddhism Day (International Buddhist Day). The date of the celebration was chosen in honor of the birthday of Shakyamuni Buddha, the founder of the teachings. In Japan, the event is also called the Flower Festival. Approximately 50 countries participate in the celebration of the holiday.

International Buddhism Day aims to unite the faithful, involve them in joint prayer and veneration of the Buddha.

Buddhism is a religious-philosophical teaching that helps to awaken spiritually. It appeared in Ancient India, around the 6th century BC. Buddhism is often called an “atheistic” religion: although it has religious features, there is no Creator in Buddhism.

Interesting Facts

• Buddha means “one who has awakened”, which very well characterizes the essence of the teaching.
• The largest percentage of Buddhists live in China.
• The Buddhist religion does not have a single book (unlike, for example, Christianity, where one central text is the Bible).