Bodhi Day

Bodhi Day, primarily a Mahayana Buddhist holiday, celebrates the enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautam (Shakyamuni Buddha) while sitting under the Bodhi tree. His realizations on the root of suffering and how to be free of it form the basis of modern Buddhism, including the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. Bodhi Day is either celebrated on the 8th of December or on the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, which falls in January. It is often observed with meditation and study.