Religious Affairs: Consecration ceremony and rice alms donation ceremony

Consecration ceremony and rice alms donation ceremony for 11,111 members of Sangha took place at the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon on Tuesday morning, the day before the Kason Full Moon Day, the Buddha Day.

Yangon Region Chief Minister U Soe Thein and many other officials attended these ceremonies together with well-wishers from across the Region. People celebrate the Kason Full Moon day by pouring water onto the Bo trees, keeping sabbath, praying and donating food at pagodas and monasteries across the country.

The full moon day of Kason is the most sacred day for millions of Buddhists throughout the world. The sacred day coincides with the days the Buddha-to-be was prophesied, the Buddha-to-be was given birth,the Buddha-to-be attained Enlightenment and the demise of Lord Buddha Gautama.

The International Conference held in Colombo of Sri Lanka held discussions to designate the full moon day of Kason as the global office holiday from 5 to 14 November 1998. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka submitted a proposal to the UN General Assembly in September 1999 to designate the full moon day of Kason as an international office holiday.

A total of 34 countries including Myanmar voted for the proposal at the 54th General Assembly. Accordin to the UNGA resolution 54/115, the full moon day of Kason as the International Vesak day or Visākha day.