Makha Bucha 2027
Makha Bucha (วันมาฆบูชา) falls on Sunday, 21 February 2027 in 2027, waxing day 15, 3rd month. Here is what the day commemorates, what people do and its dates for the coming years, worked out from the Thai lunar calendar.
- วันมาฆบูชา
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What Makha Bucha commemorates
On the full moon of the third month, 1,250 monks, all enlightened and ordained by the Buddha himself, gathered at the Veluvana monastery without any prior arrangement. The Buddha gave them the Ovada Patimokkha, the summary of his teaching: do no evil, do good, purify the mind. The festival was established in Thailand under King Rama IV.
What people do on the day
In the morning people give alms and listen to a sermon; in the evening they walk three times around the ordination hall holding a candle, incense and flowers (wian thian). Many Thais keep the eight precepts that day.
Makha Bucha is a public holiday for government offices; banks and many businesses also close. When it falls on a weekend, a substitute day off is often given.
Alcohol sales are banned on Makha Bucha, with exceptions (international airport terminals, registered hotels and licensed entertainment venues), under the Prime Minister's Office notice of 2025.
How the date is set
Makha Bucha falls every year on waxing day 15, 3rd month. Because the Thai lunar year has 354 days, the calendar date moves 11 days earlier from one year to the next, then about 19 days later in adhikamat years, when an extra eighth month is added.
In adhikamat years, the festival moves one lunar month later: waxing day 15, 4th month.
Makha Bucha dates from 2027 to 2034
Dates computed from the Thai lunar calendar and checked against the official calendar up to 2027. For later years, a one-day difference remains possible.
Year Date Day Lunar date 2027 21 February 2027 Sunday waxing day 15, 3rd month 2028 10 February 2028 Thursday waxing day 15, 3rd month 2029 (adhikamat year) 27 February 2029 Tuesday waxing day 15, 4th month 2030 17 February 2030 Sunday waxing day 15, 3rd month 2031 (adhikamat year) 8 March 2031 Saturday waxing day 15, 4th month 2032 26 February 2032 Thursday waxing day 15, 3rd month 2033 14 February 2033 Monday waxing day 15, 3rd month 2034 (adhikamat year) 4 March 2034 Saturday waxing day 15, 4th month
These tools give general information. They do not replace the advice of a doctor or a qualified professional.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Makha Bucha in 2027?
- Makha Bucha 2027 falls on Sunday, 21 February 2027, waxing day 15, 3rd month. The following year it will be on Thursday, 10 February 2028.
- Why does the date of Makha Bucha change every year?
- Because it follows the Thai lunar calendar: waxing day 15, 3rd month. The lunar year is shorter than the solar year, so the calendar date moves by several weeks from one year to the next.
- Is Makha Bucha a public holiday?
- Makha Bucha is a public holiday for government offices; banks and many businesses also close. When it falls on a weekend, a substitute day off is often given.
- Can you buy alcohol on Makha Bucha?
- Alcohol sales are banned on Makha Bucha, with exceptions (international airport terminals, registered hotels and licensed entertainment venues), under the Prime Minister's Office notice of 2025.
- What do people do on Makha Bucha?
- In the morning people give alms and listen to a sermon; in the evening they walk three times around the ordination hall holding a candle, incense and flowers (wian thian). Many Thais keep the eight precepts that day.