Today is ...
10 June
There are no public holidays or days of significance in Asia on this day.
Past Days...
8 June
Timor-Leste celebrated Feast of the Body of God (Corpus Christi). Corpus Christi is a moveable feast, celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday or, in countries where it is not a holy day of obligation, on the following Sunday. The earliest possible Thursday celebration falls on 21 May (as in 1818 and 2285), the latest on 24 June (as in 1943 and 2038). The Sunday celebrations occur three days later. Corpus Christi is a public holiday in some countries with a predominantly Catholic population (including Timor-Leste).
6 June
North Korea celebrated Korean Children’s Union Foundation Day.
South Korea celebrated Hyun Choong II (Memorial Day). The day commemorates the men and women who died while in military service or in the independence movement. On this day, a national commemoration ceremony is held in Seoul National Cemetery.
5 June
Australia (State of Western Australia) celebrated Western Australian Day (formerly known as Foundation Day), a public holiday in Western Australia, celebrated on the first Monday in June to commemorate the founding of the Swan River Colony in 1829. Because of the celebration of Western Australia Day, WA does not celebrate the Queen's Birthday Holiday in June, as most states do; it is held in September or October instead.
India (state of Assam) observed Janmotsav of Sri Sri Madhabdeva.
Malaysia had a national holiday to celebrate the Birthday of SPB Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The full title in Malay is Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong, translated into English as "His Majesty The Supreme Lord (of the Federation)".
Thailand had another holiday for Visakha Bucha Day and HM the Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana’s Birthday.
4 June
Bhutan celebrated Lord Buddha’s Parinirvana, a public holiday commemorating the Nirvana of Gautama Buddha. It celebrates the day when the Buddha is said to have achieved Parinirvana, or complete Nirvana, upon the death of his physical body. Passages from the Nirvana Sutra describing the Buddha's last days of life are often read on Parinirvana Day. Other observances include meditation and visits to Buddhist temples and monasteries. Also, the day is a time to think about one's own future death and on the deaths of loved ones. This thought process reflects the Buddhist teachings on impermanence. Some Western Buddhist groups also celebrate Parinirvana Day.
India (the state of Sikkim) celebrated Saga Dawa and the (states of Chhattisgarh, Himachel Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab) celebrates Sant Kabir Jayanti, the birthday of Saint Kabir das. It is observed on the Jyeshta Purnima day. Sant Kabir was born near Benaras or Varanasi in a Muslim community. Kabir was Brahmin or Sufi, Vedantist or Vaishnavite. He is believed to have lived during the 15th century AD. He was a weaver by profession. Sant Kabir wrote numerous poems extolling the greatness of the oneness of the Supreme Being. He was a revolutionary saint, poet and religious reformer. Sant Kabir accepted all religions. Kabirdas called himself the child of Lord Ram and Allah. On Sant Kabir Jayanti meetings, satsangs, and recital of Sant Kabir’s poems are held.
Legends of Sant Kabir Das
Saint Kabir Das reached the abode of God in Maghar close to Gorakhpur in 1518. However, immediate dispute began regarding the way in which his final rites must be performed. It is believed that both Hindus and Muslims claimed the body to perform the funeral rites. To their utter surprise, Kabir Das stood up and asked them to lift his body and view beneath. Lying there was nothing but a beautiful array of flowers. Devotees and his followers were speechless with Hindus taking some flowers to Varanasi and the rest of the flowers taken by Muslims to Maghar.
Kabir Das was influenced with various incidents throughout his life that made him even more popular. In order to break his spiritual path, a beautiful courtesan had been sent to him with no effective results. Similarly, he was taken to the court of Sikander Lodi after having been believed that he possessed some magical powers. Eventually, he was made to leave the city of Varanasi in the year 1495 after which he never returned. During this period of his life, Kabir toured entire North India spreading oneness among people.
Mystical odes from Kabir Das made him an iconic character during the 15th century. Displaying a mature way of thinking, he is best remembered for some of the one-liners he uttered in response to various queries from people in his own inimitable style. For instance, he expressed his feelings beautifully in words such as “The Purana and The Koran are mere words” and God is “neither in Kaaba nor in Kailash”. All over his life, Kabir actively denounced both temples and mosques maintaining that God is in everyone and exists everywhere.
Indonesia celebrated Buddha Day.
Mongolia celebrated Buddha Day.
3 June
Sri Lanka celebrated Poson Full Moon Poya Day which commemorate the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka.
Thailand celebrated Visakha Bucha Day (Buddha Day).
Thailand had a holiday to celebrate HM the Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana’s Birthday.
2 June
India (state of Telangana) had a holiday for Telangana State Formation Day.
Indonesia had another holiday to celebrate Pancasila Day.
Malaysia (State of Sarawak) had another holiday for Hari Gawai Dayak.
Mongolia observed Bridge Public Holiday.
Sri Lanka celebrated Vesak Day (Buddha Day).
1 June
Indonesia celebrated Pancasila Day.
Malaysia (State of Sarawak) celebrated Hari Gawai Dayak a festival celebrated by Dayaks in Sarawak on 1 June every year. It is both a religious and social occasion. The idea for Gawai Dayak started back in 1957 in a radio forum held by Tan Kingsley and Owen Liang, a radio programme organiser. This generated a lot of interest among the Dayak community. Up until 1962, the British colonial government refused to recognize the Dayak Day but instead called it the Sarawak Day which was meant to be celebrated by all Sarawakians as a national day. The first Gawai was hosted by Datuk Michael Buma, a Betong native, at his house at Siol Kandis, Kuching on June 1, 1963, before it was officially gazetted on 25 September 1964 as a public holiday in place of Sarawak Day after the formation of the Federation of Malaysia. It was first celebrated on 1 June 1965 and became a symbol of unity, aspiration and hope for the Dayak community. Today, it is an integral part of the Dayak social life. It is a thanksgiving day marking a bountiful harvest and a time to plan for the new farming season or other endeavors ahead.
Mongolia celebrated Mothers and Children's Day.
31 May
Brunei celebrated Royal Brunei Armed Forces Day. The formation of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces took place on May 31, 1961. Brunei had been a British protectorate since 1888, dependent on the British armed forces for its defense. In 1961, some 60 Brunei recruits began training as part of a transition period toward complete independence for the country, which occurred in 1984. The Royal Brunei Armed Forces maintain close ties with the British military forces, as well as those of Malaysia and Singapore. They also regularly cooperate in exercises with the armed forces of New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. The formation of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces is commemorated each year. Around the country, there may be parades and military displays put on by various units of the armed forces. In the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan, the occasion is usually commemorated at the Taman Haji Sir Omar Ali Saifuddien in the city center. Events include a military parade and such military demonstrations as parachuting exhibitions or mock battles. In 2007, the Royal Brunei Armed Forces marked the anniversary by giving special presents to those children who were celebrating their first birthday on that day. The children were given special souvenirs of the occasion, and bank accounts were opened in their names.
Malaysia (Labuan Territory and State of Sabah) continued to celebrate Harvest Festival (Pesta Menuai).
30 May
Malaysia (Labuan Territory and State of Sabah) celebrated Harvest Festival (Pesta Menuai).
29 May
Australia (the Australian Capital Territory) had a holiday for Reconciliation Day.
Nepal celebrated Ganatantra Diwas / Republic Day (National Day) celebrating the day Nepal was declared a republic. 29 May 2022 is the fifteenth Republic Day.
South Korea had a holiday for Buddha’s Birthday.
28 May
India (state of Jammu and Kashmir) celebrated Mela Khir Bhawani Festival at Kheer Bhawani Temple in Kashmir. Kheer Bawani, the most revered Holy Temple Shrine of Kashmiri Brahmans. The Goddess Mata Ragnya Devi is symbolised as a sacred spring at Tula Mula village, near (27 kms) Srinagar, Kashmir in J&K India. The spring of Kheer Bhawani is quite large and has always been held in veneration by the Brahman population of Srinagar. The Temple, dedicated to the Goddess Mata Kheer Bhawani (originally Bhawani Mata), has been constructed over a Sacred Spring. Within the spring is a marble Temple. The Temple-Spring complex is affectionately known as Kheer Bhawani as thousands of devotees offer milk and 'kheer' to the Sacred Spring. The devotees of the Goddess Mata Kheer Bhawani fast and gather here on the eighth day of the full moon in the month of May/ June when, according to belief, the Goddess changes the colour of the spring's waters, which are ascribed to different manifestations of the Goddess Mata Kheer Bhawani. Turning of the colour into shades of black is supposed to signal approaching disaster. Some people say that before the exodus of the Pandits (Kashmiri Brahmans) from Kashmir the colour had turned completely black in 1990! According to the legend, there were 360 springs surrounding the main spring but all of these seem to have disappeared as the land has become marshy all around. In the last half century, the pilgrimage has become the most important for Kashmiri Brahmans who come here from all over the Jammu & Kashmir State and even from outside. Kheer Bhawani is considered to be the Presiding Deity of most of the Kashmiri Brahmans.
27 May
Buddha’s Birthday was observed in:
- South Korea (Sukka Tansin II)
26 May
Buddha’s Birthday was observed in:
- Hong Kong
- Macau (Dia do Buda)
23 May
India (state of Punjab) had a public holiday titled the Martyrdom Day of Sri Guru Arjun Dev Ji, the first Sikkh martyr killed when he refused to convert to Islam in 1606 and described as a watershed event in the history of Sikkhism.
22 May
India (states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan) had a public holiday to commemorate Maharana Pratap Jayanti, an eminent ruler in the region in the 16th century.
Malaysia (state of Pahang) had a state public holiday.
20 May
Timor-Leste celebrated Independence Restoration Day, the 19th Anniversary of the day that Timor-Leste’s Constitution came into force in 2002 and the country was given its sovereignty. Portugal and many other countries organized campaigns in order to collect donations, provisions and books. Control of Timor-Leste was slowly taken with the progressive disarming of the militias and the beginning of the reconstruction of houses, schools and other infrastructures. Xanana Gusmão returned to the country, as well as other Timorese who had gone into exile, including many with university education. Elections were held for a Constituent Assembly that became responsible for drafting Timor-Leste’s Constitution.
19 May
India (the state of Orissa) celebrated Sabitri Amabasya.
18 May
Indonesia observed Ascension of the Prophet Isra Mi’raj Nabi Muhammad. Isra and Mi'raj, also known as Al Isra' wal Miraj, is observed on the 27th day of the month of Rajab, the seventh month in the Islamic calendar. This event marks the night that Allah (God) took Mohammad (also known as Mohamed or Muhammed) on a journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and then to heaven.
17 May
Malaysia (State of Perlis) had a state public holiday for the Raja’s Birthday.
16 May
India (state of Sikkim) had a State Day.
14 May
Cambodia celebrated HM King Norodom Sihamoni's Birthday. This holiday was established in 1953.
11 May
Thailand had a holiday for the Royal Ploughing Ceremony. The Royal Ploughing Ceremony dates back over seven hundred years, with a brief interruption in the 19th century. The present King revived it in 1960, continuing a long royal tradition of ensuring the success of the new year’s rice planting season. It’s more than just a religious ceremony – this ritual is a State-sponsored event involving highly-placed civil officials. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives takes on the position of Lord of the Harvest; four single female Ministry officials are appointed Celestial Maidens to assist him. With half of Thailand’s people still dependent on farming for a living, the Royal Ploughing Ceremony is an important yearly event that honors the bond between the King, the government, and the farmers who sustain the country.
10 May
India (state of Karnataka) had a holiday for the State Assembly Elections.
9 May
India (state of West Bengal) observed Rabindranath Tagor Jayanti.
8 May
Cambodia celebrated Royal Ploughing Ceremony (Pithi Chrat Preah Neanng Korl) which is an ancient royal rite held in Cambodia to mark the traditional beginning of the rice-growing season. In the ceremony, two sacred oxen are hitched to a wooden plough and they plough a furrow in some ceremonial ground, while rice seed is sown by court Brahmins. After the ploughing, the oxen are offered plates of food, including rice, corn, green beans, sesame, fresh-cut grass, water and rice whisky. Depending on what the oxen eat, court astrologers and Brahmins make a prediction on whether the coming growing season will be bountiful or not. The ceremony is rooted in Brahman belief, and is held to ensure a good harvest. In Cambodia the ceremony is typically presided over by the monarch, or an appointee, and has been overseen by both King Norodom Sihamoni and Prime Minister Hun Sen.
6 May
Sri Lanka observed the Day following Vesak Full Moon Poya Day.
5 May
'Buddha Day', a holiday observed traditionally by Buddhists in:
- India (Buddha Purnima / Shyada Pidar) – in the states of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, National Capital Territory of Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Orissa, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal)
- Nepal (Buddha Jayanti / Ubhauli festival / Chandi Purnima)
- Singapore (Buddha Day holiday)
- Sri Lanka (Vesak Full Moon Poya Day)
It commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama Buddha.
Japan celebrated Children’s Day. This national holiday was established in 1948, as a day on which to esteem the personalities of children and plan for their happiness. It is on this day that the Japanese equivalent of the Dragon Boat Festival is held. On this day, and for some time before it, families who have a boy in their home may fly koinobori and decorate their homes with armor or samurai dolls. Children's Day marks the end of Golden Week.
South Korea also Orininal - Children’s Day, the day on which to esteem the personalities of children and plan for their happiness. In Korea, Children's Day started on May 1, 1922, when 8 persons including Bang Jeong-Hwan declared the Day and held an anniversary. In 1946, the Day changed to May 5, and became a public holiday in 1975.
Thailand had a Coronation Day holiday.
4 May
'Buddha Day', a holiday observed traditionally by Buddhists in:
- Bangladesh (Buddha Purnurma)
- Cambodia (Visakh Bochea Day)
- Laos (Visakhabousa Day holiday)
- Malaysia (Wesak holiday except Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu)
It commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama Buddha.
Japan celebrated Greenery Day. This national holiday is celebrated as a day to commune with nature and be grateful for its blessings. Originally established in 1989 and held annually on April 29 (the late Shōwa Emperor's birthday), in 2007 Greenery Day was moved to May 4, and April 29 was renamed "Shōwa Day". Greenery Day falls during Golden Week.
Thailand celebrated the Anniversary of the Coronation of King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
3 May
China had another holiday for Labour Day.
Japan celebrated Constitution Memorial Day. This national holiday was established in 1948, to commemorate the day on which Japan's post-war constitution took effect. Constitution Memorial Day falls during Golden Week.
Myanmar celebrated Kasone/Kasong Full Moon Day (Buddha Day).
Vietnam had another holiday for Giỗ Tổ Hùng Vương.
2 May
Bhutan celebrated the birth anniversary of Jigme Dorji Wangchuck the 3rd Druk Gyalpo, who began Bhutan's first steps toward modernization (b. 1928, Thruepang Palace, Trongsa).
China had another holiday for Labour Day.
Vietnam had a holiday for Liberation Day/Reunification Day/ Labour Day.
1 May
May Day/International Labour Day/Labour Day was celebrated in:
- Bangladesh
- Cambodia
- China
- Hong Kong
- India (states of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Telangana, West Bengal)
- Indonesia
- Laos
- Macau
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- North Korea
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Sri Lanka
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Vietnam
Australia (Northern Territory and Queensland) had a public holiday for Labour Day.
India (state of Maharashtra) celebrated Maharashtra Din Day.
30 April
Bhutan observed Zhabdrung Kuchoe, to mark the passing of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in 1651 at Punakha Dzong. He was the first person to unify the warring valley kingdoms under a single rule. In Bhutan, Zhabdrung is revered as the third most important personality behind Guru Rimpoche and the Sakyamuni Buddha. During this national holiday, Bhutanese visit temples/monasteries where prayers ceremonies are held. The holiday is a national day of mourning.
China had a holiday for Labour Day.
Vietnam observed Gày Thống Nhất (Reunification/Liberation Day). It is a public holiday to mark when the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops captured Saigon (now Ho Chi Min City) in 1975, signalling the end of the Vietnam War and the start of the transition period towards reunification (2 July 1976) when the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam and North Vietnam merged to form the modern-day Socialist Republic of Vietnam. This day may also be called: Black April, Liberation Day, Victory Day, National Day of Shame, National Day of Resentment, Fall of Saigon.
29 April
China had a holiday for Labour Day.
Japan celebrated Shōwa Day to honour the birthday of the Shōwa Emperor (Hirohito), the reigning emperor from 1926 to 1989. The purpose of the holiday is to encourage public reflection on the turbulent 63 years of Hirohito’s reign and think about the country’s future.
Vietnam observed Giỗ Tổ Hùng Vương, a Vietnamese festival held annually from the 8th to the 11th day of the third lunar month in honour of the Hùng Vương or Hùng Kings. The main festival day, which is a public holiday in Vietnam since 2007, is on the 10th day. Although the official name means the Death Anniversary of the Hung Kings, the festival does not mark any specific date of death for any Hung King.