Māgha Pūjā

Māgha Pūjā is the second important Buddhist holiday, celebrated on the full moon day of the third lunar month in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Sri Lanka and on the full moon day of Tabaung in Myanmar. The holiday praised the event when Buddha transferred his main theory to 1,250 monks.

In pre-modern times, Māgha Pūjā has been celebrated by some Southeast Asian communities. But it became widely popular in the modern period, when it was instituted in Thailand by King Rama IV in the mid-19th century. From Thailand, it spread to other South and Southeast Asian countries. Presently, it is a public holiday in some of these countries. It is an occasion when Buddhists go to the temple to perform merit-making activities, such as alms giving, meditation and listening to teachings. 

It has been proposed in Thailand as a more spiritual alternative to the celebration of Valentine's Day.