Amitabha's Birthday · Amituofo

Culture of origin: Buddhist · Cultural

Holiday sources: Buddhism

Amitabha is the principal Buddha of the Western Pure Land, the Land of Ultimate Bliss. The Amitabha Sutra says he attained Buddhahood ten kalpas ago but gives no birthday, so Chinese Buddhism keeps instead the birthday of Yongming Yanshou, a Chan master of the Five Dynasties who promoted Pure Land devotion and whom people took to be Amitabha's incarnation. The day thus honours Amitabha and, with him, a patriarch of the Pure Land school.