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Welcome to Wat Mongkolratanaram (also know as Wat Tampa). Happy New Year!

Let me start today by quoting to you a traditional Thai New Years wish: "By the power of the Buddhist Triple Gems: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha - May you and your family be blessed with good health, beautiful, prosperous, long life, and be successful in your career and in life for the New Year. May all of these blessings and all your wishes be fulfilled."

Read more: New Years Day 2018 - January 1, 2018

Makha Puja Day falls on the full moon day of the third lunar month. The date of all of the Thai festivals is based on the lunar calendar so the "American" dates vary from year to year. We will be celebrating Magha Puja Day at Wat Tampa on Sunday, March 4, 2018.

This ceremony marks two important dates in the life of Buddha. The first event occurred two years after Buddha’s enlightenment and is referred to as the Fourfold assembly. These events were:

• All 1,250 monks had achieved enlightenment.
• These monks were ordained by Buddha himself
• The monks assembled on their own without being called together.

Read more: Makha Puja Day - March 4, 2018

On Sunday, April 15, 2018  we celebrate the Songkarn Festival. You may know it by one of its "nicknames" – Thai New Year or the Water Festival.

It is a Thai tradition to give Alms offering to Monks. And in turn, you offer this good deed to relatives who passed away by wishing for them by pouring a small glass of water on a big tree and it is a very good deed and good luck for the beginning of a New Year. This year, as in earlier years there will be a ceremony of sprinkling the Buddha statues and Monks with flower pedals & perfumed water., and, of course, the congregation will also sprinkle perfumed water on each other for good luck and good health and a prosperous New Year. There will be Thai Vegetable and Thai food available.

Things to do on Songkarn:

• Do offer food alms to the Buddhist monks at the temple
• Do donate the merit on behalf of one's ancestors
• Do sprinkle water onto a Buddha image and the monks for good luck
• Do pour scented water onto the parents and elders hands for good luck and prosperity
• Do bring family members to visit grandparents.  It is a family day.
• Do clean up home and engage in volunteer work to clean public areas
• Do set birds and fish free for merit
• Do politely play with water for joy and to continue good traditions
• Do arrange the tradional plays to continue the cultural heritage

Read more: Songkarn Festival - April 15, 2018

Visakha Puja Day is an important day in Buddhism.  We will celebrate Visakha Puja Day at Wat Tampa on Sunday, May 27, 2018.

Visakha Puja Day marks the Buddhism Trinity or three important incidents occurred in the life of Lord Buddha on the same day. They happened on the same day on full moon of the sixth lunar month.

Read more: Visakha Puja Day - May 27, 2018

Asalha Puja Day is one of the most sacred days in Buddhism. It is observed on the fifteenth day of the waxing moon of the eight lunar month (July).  This year it is celebrated at Wat Tampa on Sunday, July 29, 2018.

Asalha Puja Day is the anniversary of the day on which Lord Buddha delivered his first Sermon to his five Disciples at the Deer Park in Benares, over two thousand five hundred years ago. The day also marks the beginning of the worship of the Triple Gems, namely: the Lord Buddha, His Teachings and His Disciples. This day also is celebrated as Thai Father's day (King's birthday).

Read more: Asalha Puja Day / King's Birthday 2018- July 29, 2018

This year Thai Mothers Day will be celebrated on Sunday, August 12, 2018. Her Majesty, Queen Sirikit of Thailand was born on August 12th, 1932. Thai Mothers Day is a celebration of the Queen's birthday as well as to honor mothers everywhere. The Queen is the symbolic mother of Thailand and is honored as the "First Mother". For almost sixty years, the Queen has stood by the Thai nation dedicating her time and efforts to the common good. For all of her endless devotion the people of Thailand are grateful.

If the Temple sponsors the Thai Summer school in 2018, the graduation ceremony will also be held on August 12.  A complete list of events includess:

• Nuns will receive and observe the eight precepts to honor Her Majesty the Queen
• There will be a public ceremony honoring the Queen
• Thai Summer School Graduation Ceremony
• The summer school students will participate in Thai classical dancing and Music shows

Sart Thai day will be celebrated at Wat Tampa on Sunday, September 23, 2018 this year. Sart Thai day falls in the middle of the traditional Thai year. It occurs on the fifteenth day of the waning moon of the tenth lunar month (sometime during September).

The word Sart, derived from the Pali language, means season and in particular autumn or fall. Sart Thai day is also referred to as Memorial Day. This is not Memorial Day as Americans might assume. In Thailand, Sart Thai is a time to remember dead relatives with prayers, Buddhist rituals, and merit making on their behalf. 

Read more: Sart Thai Day - September 23, 2018

This ceremony marks the end of Buddhist lent and is being celebrated at Wat Tampa on Sunday, October 28, 2018. This year the celebration will also include the Kathina Ceremony.

The first day of Thai Lent is referred to as Asalha Puja Day (or Commencement Day). This holiday will be celebrated at Wat Tampa on July 29 this year. The date of all of the Thai festivals is based on the lunar calendar so the "American" dates vary from year to year. You may also here Lent referred to as the "rains retreat."

Read more: End of Buddhist Lent / Kathina Ceremony - October 28, 2018

This year we will celebrate the Loy Krathong Festival  on SATURDAY night, November 25, 2018.  Typically the festivities start at 6pm. This is one of the most beautiful and popular festivals in Thailand. Loy Krathong is celebrated on the day of the full moon in November. Part of the reason for its popularity is the weather, which is quite pleasant. The temperature is mild, the monsoon rains have subsided, and there is plentiful water in the klongs (canals).

The central event in Loy Krathong is the launching of krathongs. A krathong is a small lotus-shaped vessel made of banana leaves, flowers, candles, and three incense sticks. Don't be confused by this simple description. Many krathongs are elaborate vessels that take many hours to construct. People launch the krathongs into any "large" body of water to carry away their bad luck. Prior to launching they light the candle and incense and make a wish. It is considered good luck if the krathong floats away from you.

 Loy Krathong originated about 700 years ago in the Sukhothai kingdom. Sukhothai is located about half way between Bangkok and Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand. The farmers during this period of Thai history held a festival to launch floating candles to thank the water god for the waters. This ceremony coincided with the end of the harvest season. A beautiful woman named Noppamas made the first decorated krathong using banana leaves in the shape of a lotus flower. King Lithai saw the decorated float and decreed that krathongs would be floated every year.

At Wat Tampa our festival will feature, of course, launching Krathongs into the Palm River. many other activities are planned and will be listed here once the planning for this years festival is completed. As part of the Loy Krathong Festival we usually hold the "Nopamas Queen" beauty contest.

Activities will include:

• Ms. Noppamas Pageant
• Lotus floating to honor "Phra Mae Khongha", the Thai Goddess of Water
• Traditional Thai Dancing
• Local Thai band "Song Funghong"
• Delicious authentic Thai food

The following is a list of items that are celebrated in Thailand. Enjoy!

1.  To pay respect to the footprint of Buddha found on the bank of Nammathanayi, one of the rivers in the regionof Thakkhinabot, India, which is known as Nehrabhuddha River today.

2. To pay respect to and seek forgiveness from Phra Mae Khongkha, the Water Goddess, for past misdeeds. It's also a chance to express our gratitude to the river since it provides us with water to use and drink.

3.  To worship Phra Upakut, which is highly venerated by worshippers in Northen Thailand. According to legend, after achieving nirvanna Phra Upakut went to practice meditation under the deep sea.

4.  Floating a krathong is believed to dispel bad luck as well as bring fortune. (editors note: Assumes the krathong floats away from you).

5.  Putting some coins in a krathong is believed to bring you wealth in the coming year.

6.  Loy Krathong promotes family bonding. It is a chance for us to spend time with family, friends, and loved ones.

7.  Loy Krathong promotes economy within the community, society, and nation at large.

8.  Putting nail and hair clippingsin a krathong is believed to ward off bad luck.

9.  Loy Krathong promotes handcraftsmanship, creativity, and folk wisdom by encouraging the use of natural materials.

10.  To carry on the beautiful Thai traditionthat has been passed on down to us from Sukhothai Kingdom (mid-13th century to late 14th century).

Click here to see information on the Loy Krathong Festival in Bangkok.

We will celebrate Thai father day on Sunday, December 2, 2018.

Welcome to Wat Mongkolratanaram (also know as Wat Tampa). Happy New Year! Temnple will celebrate New years Day 2018 on January 1, 2019

Let me start today by quoting to you a traditional Thai New Years wish: "By the power of the Buddhist Triple Gems: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha - May you and your family be blessed with good health, beautiful, prosperous, long life, and be successful in your career and in life for the New Year. May all of these blessings and all your wishes be fulfilled."

Read more: New Years Day 2019 - January 1, 2019