Translation guide
In Japan, the Buddha's birthday is celebrated on April 8th with a festival called Hana Matsuri (Flower Festival). The main event is a ceremony at Buddhist temples where sweet tea is poured over a statue of the infant Buddha. This entry explains how to refer to this ceremony and related expressions.
Referring to the Buddhist service or ritual held on the Buddha's birthday, typically involving pouring sweet tea over a statue of the baby Buddha.
Literally 'Flower Festival', this is the most common name for the celebration of the Buddha's birthday in Japan. It refers to the entire event, including the ceremony.
4月8日は花祭りです。
April 8th is Hana Matsuri (the Buddha's birthday celebration).
花祭りで甘茶をかけました。
I poured sweet tea over the statue at the Hana Matsuri ceremony.
A more formal Buddhist term for the ceremony of bathing the Buddha statue. Often used in temple contexts.
灌仏会は多くの寺で行われます。
The Kanbutsu-e ceremony is held at many temples.
Another formal term meaning 'birth celebration', used specifically for the Buddha's birth. Less common than 灌仏会.
降誕会の法要に参列した。
I attended the Gōtan-e memorial service.
Describing the specific ritual action of pouring sweet tea (amacha) over the statue of the infant Buddha.
The standard way to say 'pour sweet tea over (the Buddha statue)'. 甘茶 is the sweet tea made from hydrangea leaves.
子どもたちが仏像に甘茶をかけました。
The children poured sweet tea over the Buddha statue.
A formal verb meaning 'to bathe the Buddha' (perform the ritual pouring). Used in religious contexts.
僧侶が灌仏しました。
The monk performed the bathing of the Buddha.
Referring to the sweet tea used in the ceremony.
The sweet tea made from fermented hydrangea leaves, traditionally poured over Buddha statues on his birthday.
花祭りでは甘茶が振る舞われます。
Sweet tea is served at the Hana Matsuri.
The Buddha's birthday is celebrated as 花祭り (Hana Matsuri) on April 8th in Japan. Temples set up a small flower-decorated shrine (花御堂, はなみどう) with a statue of the infant Buddha, and visitors pour 甘茶 over it. This is a widely recognized event, even among non-Buddhists.