Medin Full Moon Poya Day
| Date | Type |
|---|---|
02 Mar 2026 Monday | BankPublicMercantile |
22 Mar 2027 Monday | BankPublicMercantile |
Overview
Medin Poya commemorates the Buddha's first return to his home city of Kapilavastu, made seven days after attaining enlightenment at the invitation of his father, King Suddhodana. The visit produced two consequential family episodes in early Buddhist history. First, his former wife Yasodhara sent their seven-year-old son, Prince Rahula, to ask the Buddha for his "inheritance"; the Buddha responded by ordaining the boy as a novice monk, making Rahula the first-ever novice in the monastic order. Second, during the same visit, the Buddha's younger half-brother, Prince Nanda, was in the midst of his own wedding and consecration ceremonies when he, moved by respect for the Buddha, chose to ordain as well, reportedly on the very day of his wedding. The disruption these ordinations caused to family expectations was significant enough that King Suddhodana asked the Buddha to require parental consent before ordaining minors in future, a request the Buddha accepted, which became a standing rule of the monastic order.
Significance
The visit is significant in Buddhist tradition as the moment the Buddha taught the Dhamma to his own family, including his father King Suddhodana, several of whom are said to have attained spiritual insight during the visit.
How it's observed
Temples hold sermons (bana) and many devotees observe sil (a set of additional Buddhist precepts) for the day. As on all Poya days, alcohol sales are banned nationwide.
See the Sri Lanka long weekends list or use the interactive holiday planner.