Lunar Dharma Dates for 2024: Buddha Days, Recurring Puja Days, Annual Celebrations in Three Buddhist Traditions
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. (Dates below are updated to 2024!) 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.”
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 2024. 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.
For the latest actual dates for 2024, see our Dharma Calendar>>
Mahayana Special Days on Western Calendar 2024
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.
Buddha Days Converted to Western Calendar
Full Moon Days 2024
Full Moon is very special every month for all practices, with all merit increased.
This is the day for Amitabha Pujas, Medicine Buddha Pujas, or a second Tara Puja (the main date being the 8th of the lunar month for Tara).
• January 25
• February 24
• March 25
• April 23
• May 23
• June 22
• July 21
• August 19
• September 18
• October 17
• November 15
• December 15
New Moon: Upavasatha Renewal Day and Vajrasattva Practice
Lama Zopa advised: The New Moon or “30th of Tibetan month; good for all practices.”
Lunar 30th Day New moon practices arose from the ancient tradition of Upavasatha or the practice of renewal on the new moon day. It is auspicious for all practices, and especially Shakyamuni Buddha practices, Vajrasattva and other purification practices such as Vajrakilaya.
The last day of the lunar month, or New Moon, is very auspicious and has high merit for all practices but it is especially the day for purifying all the negative karma of the previous month for a fresh start on the new month. Especially important for Mahayana Buddhists is Vajrasattva’s 100-syllable mantra, which purifies all negative karmas.
New Moon Days 2024
Lama Zopa advised: The New Moon or “30th of Tibetan month; good for practice.”
• January 11
• February 9
• February 9
• March 10
• April 8
• May 8 (The new moon of May occurs on May 7 at 11:22 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (0322 UTC May 8), in New York, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory.)
• June 6
• July 5
• August 4
• September 2
• October 2
• November 1
• November 30
• December 1
• December 30
Medicine Buddha Puja 2024
Medicine Buddha Puja is traditionally celebrated on the full moon of the lunar calendar (full moon dates above). It may also be honored on the 8th of the lunar month along with Tara Pujas.
Tara Puja Days 2023
Tara Puja Days are traditional celebrated on the 8th of the Lunar month — known affectionately as Tara Day! It is also often performed and honored on the full moon and all auspicious days. Any day can be Tara Day! For more on Tara Days and why they’re important, see>>
- January 18
- February 17
- March 17
- April 16
- May 15
- June 14
- July 14
- August 12
- September 11
- October 10
- November 9
- December None — as it’s an astrological skip month with no 8th day.
Tsog Offering
For a breakdown by Daka Tsog and Dakini Tsog dates see our Dharma Dates calendar. There are traditionally two:
- Daka (Hero) Tsog: 10th day of the lunar month
- Dakini (Heroine or Yogini) Tsog: 25th day of the lunar month.
- For all Tsog dates converted to the Western Calendar, see our Dharma Dates 2024>>
More articles by this author
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A Light to the World — Celebrate Buddha’s Descent from Heaven on Lhabab Duchen: merit multiplied ten million times
Avalokiteshvara’s Renunciation Day! Guan Shi Yin Avalokiteshvara’s 3 Sacred Days Are Birthday, Renunciation and Enlightenment: “Most Widely Beloved Buddhist Divinity”
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Lee Kane
Author | Buddha Weekly
Lee Kane is the editor of Buddha Weekly, since 2007. His main focuses as a writer are mindfulness techniques, meditation, Dharma and Sutra commentaries, Buddhist practices, international perspectives and traditions, Vajrayana, Mahayana, Zen. He also covers various events.
Lee also contributes as a writer to various other online magazines and blogs.
