Eclipses and full moons are the most important days in Buddhist practice. This is almost the complete opposite of some other traditions where both full moons and eclipses are considered unlucky.

On the full moon of the fourth month of the lunar year, we celebrate Buddha’s Birthday — this year on May 16.

For a devout Buddhist practitioner, on full moon each month, we practice our most important Pujas. If we practice only once a month, the full moon day is considered the most important and auspicious. Eclipses are especially meritorious, with the merit multiplied almost infinitely.

Special Days 2022

Most special days in Buddhist Practices tend to align on lunar calendars. Buddha’s birthday, for example, varies on the Western calendar year-to-year. Losar, or Tibetan New Year, is celebrated on the Lunar calendar. The most important days of the entire year are typically the “Buddha Days” at the beginning of the year, starting on Lunar New Year and continuing for 15 days — often called the 15 Days of Miracles.

According to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, based on the Vinaya text Treasure of Quotations and Logic, “karmic results are multiplied one hundred million times.”

• 2022 is the YEAR OF THE WATER TIGER— 2149 on the Tibetan Calendar.

Whether you take that as literal — many of us do — or symbolic of the importance of these days, it is auspicious for Buddhist practitioners to honor the special days.

Lunar Recurring Days

Here, we’ll cover the special days for 2021. They break down into categories:

• Buddha Days:
  • 15 Days of Miracles — and especially the 15th Day of the Lunar first month, which is “the Day of Miracles”
  • Lord Buddha’s Birth, Enlightenment and Paranirvana: celebrated on the 15th lunar day of the 4th lunar month
  • Lord Buddha’s First Teaching: 4th day of the 6th lunar month
  • Lord Buddha’s Descent from the God Realm of Thirty Three: day 22 of lunar month 9.
• Eclipse Days: considered auspicious with “karmic results are multiplied by one hundred million on solar eclipses and by seven million on lunar” according to Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
• Full Moon Days: auspicious for practice and special to both Tara and Medicine Buddha (Pujas encouraged.)
• Medicine Buddha Puja Days: 8th and/or 15th of every lunar month
• New Moon Days: auspicious for practice, and also for Naga Pujas.
• Protector Puja: once a month pujas for the Dharma Protectors on the 29th of every lunar month.
• Guru Rinpoche Day: each month on the 10th day of the lunar month, corresponding with Tsog (see below.)
• Tsog (Tsok) Days: on the 10th and 25th of every lunar month, a festive offering for: “Those who have received an initiation into Highest Yoga Tantra have a commitment to perform tsog” — according to Lama Zopa Rinpoche. These break down into:
  • Daka (Hero) Tsog: 10th day of the lunar month
  • Dakini (Heroine or Yogini) Tsog: 25th day of the lunar month.

The most common lunar recurring dates in Vajrayana Buddhism (Tsog, Tara and Medicine Buddha recurring days), transferred to the western calendar are:

Lunar Calendar 2022

Mahayana Special Days on Western Calendar 2022

In addition to the special “meritorious” days for practice, there are annual celebration days, such as the Buddha Days. Some days may vary with the region. For example, the celebration of Lord Buddha’s Birth, Death and Enlightenment, typically celebrate don the 15th day of the 4th lunar day may be observed (in some cases as a national holiday) on other dates in some countries. We’ll break these down by category, rather than by consecutive calendar date, to make it easier to find by recurring event:

Buddha Days Converted to Western Calendar

New Year and the Miracles

This year, 2022, Losar (Lunar New Year) falls on March 3. This day is also the first day of the 15 Days of Buddha’s Miracles.

2022 is the YEAR OF THE WATER TIGER— 2149 on the Tibetan Calendar.

Lunar and Solar Eclipses

This year there are four eclipses, two lunar and two solar, considered auspicious for practice:

Annual Anniversary Days

Full Moon Days 2021

• January 17
• February 16
• March 18
• April 16
• May 16
• June 14
• July 13
• August 12
• September 10
• October 9
• November 8
• December 7

New Moon Days 2021 (Tara Puja Day!)

• January 10
• February 8
• March 10
• April 9
• May 9
• June 7
• July 7
• August 5
• September 4
• October 3
• November 1
• December 1

Medicine Buddha Puja 2021

• January 17
• February 16
• March 18
• April 16
• May 16
• June 14
• July 13
• August 12
• September 10
• October 9
• November 8
• December 7

Tara Puja Days 2021

• • January 10
  • February 8
  • March 10
  • April 9
  • May 9
  • June 7
  • July 7
  • August 5
  • September 4
  • October 3
  • November 1
  • December 1

Tsog Offering

For a breakdown by Daka Tsog and Dakini Tsog see chart above.

• January 12, 27
• February 11, 26
• March 12, 27
• April 11, 25
• May 11, 25
• June 9, 23
• July 9, 23
• August 7, 21
• September 5, 20
• October 5, 20
• November 3, 18
• December 3, 18