Japan celebrates Buddha's birthday with a floral festival called Hana Matsuri

Culture
Japan celebrates Buddha's birthday with a floral festival called Hana Matsuri

While cherry blossoms drift through the air, Japanese temples celebrate the birth of Siddhartha Gautama by pouring sweet tea over statues of the baby Buddha nestled in flower-covered shrines.

Known as Hana Matsuri or the Flower Festival, this celebration marks the birth of the Buddha on April 8th. The tradition dates back centuries and is deeply tied to the legend that flowers bloomed and sweet rain fell from the sky when he was born.

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