What is Bodhi Day?
Buddhists observe the day that Siddhartha Gautama achieved enlightenment by meditation on December 8th each year. Bodhi means awakening or enlightenment.
Siddhartha Gautama, Buddhism's founder, is commonly known as the Buddha. Siddhartha, the former Indian prince, had to trade his life of luxury for a much simpler one. Many believe Siddhartha began to sit under a Bodhi tree and meditate until he found the source of pain and how to free himself from it.
It took 49 days of unbroken meditation to begin. Siddhartha became a Buddha after being enlightened and experiencing Nirvana, or "Awakened One." Buddha's enlightenment has been the central tenant of the Buddhist faith for 2,500 years.
In Gaya, India, the Bodhi tree grows along the banks of the Fal River. A Buddhist temple is also located there. Buddhists visit it as their most sacred site of pilgrimage.
How to celebrate #bodhiday
