Maka Bucha Day

[elef]

For calendar

[Guest]

Thanks to google, even I know what the "Maka Bucha"- day is.

 

Funny article though. No more Valentine's day.

 

(ATTENTON Please: Article is from 2003)

 

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/mval/story/0,4980,170277,00.html

 

Forget Valentine's Day, it's Maka Bucha in Bangkok

 

BANGKOK - The governor of the Thai capital has instructed city authorities to avoid promoting Valentine's Day and instead celebrate Maka Bucha, the Buddhist day of love.

 

On the orders of Governor Samak Sundaravej, only one district of Bangkok - Bang Rak, or love district - will hold celebratory activities on Feb 14.

 

'We don't want foreign culture to have too much influence on Thai people,' said Mr Natthanon Thavisin, permanent secretary of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. 'We also have Maka Bucha as an important day in February.'

 

Maka Bucha falls on the full moon of the third lunar month - Feb 16 this year - and commemorates Buddha preaching to a gathering of 1,250 monks.

 

Due to the rising popularity of Valentine's Day in Thailand, Bang Rak district has seen a surge in marriages on the day and has even begun offering prizes to couples choosing to tie the knot then.

 

According to the Bangkok Post, some 1,500 couples are expected to marry at the office this year, with 10 marriage certificates made of gold and worth 5,000 baht (S$200) each up for grabs as prizes.

 

'Some couples come to us only because they'd like to get the prize, not because of love. We would like them to really understand the value of love,' Bang Rak district office chief Worapote Intulak said.

 

--AFP,The Nation/AsiaNews Network

[elef]

Hi,

 

Maka Bucha Day is March 5th 2004!

 

Peter, your "Feb 16 this year" was 2003!

 

elef

[Guest]

Oooohhh,

 

I saw it too late . I edited it. Interesting to know, if Valentine's is off the menu this year again.