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nFornChristians, today is Easter Sunday.nMany people celebrate by going to church, having family gatherings,nand eating together. But we also link the holiday with spring thingsnlike bunnies and chicks and eggs. Decorating eggs and having Easternegg hunts are two of my favorite Easter customs!
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nFornmore on Easter, check out this and this other post.
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nFornBuddhists, today is Buddha Day. n
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nApriln8 is the traditional birthday of Gautama Buddha, the founder of thenreligion, who was thought to have lived in India from 563 B.C.E. ton483 B.C.E. (Actually, scholars have some evidence that he may havenbeen born in May, rather than April, but since the date is uncertain,nwhy not stick with tradition?)
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Whenevernit was, the Buddha was born Prince Siddhartha, the son of a king of npeople who lived on the border of present-day Nepal and India. Thenprince lived a very luxurious life, sheltered from disease and death,npoverty and misery. However, when he was a young adult, Siddharthanset off to see more of the world and was amazed by the amount ofnsuffering he saw. He wandered and observed and thought deeply aboutnlife and death and suffering. Eventually he began to teach thatnsuffering was caused by human craving, and that nirvana (an end tonsuffering) can be achieved by right views, right speech, and rightnaction. The Buddha taught an eightfold path of “right” things—innother words, how to best live life.
Whenevernit was, the Buddha was born Prince Siddhartha, the son of a king of npeople who lived on the border of present-day Nepal and India. Thenprince lived a very luxurious life, sheltered from disease and death,npoverty and misery. However, when he was a young adult, Siddharthanset off to see more of the world and was amazed by the amount ofnsuffering he saw. He wandered and observed and thought deeply aboutnlife and death and suffering. Eventually he began to teach thatnsuffering was caused by human craving, and that nirvana (an end tonsuffering) can be achieved by right views, right speech, and rightnaction. The Buddha taught an eightfold path of “right” things—innother words, how to best live life.n
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nBuddhismnspread from India to Central and Southeast Asia, China, Korea, Japan,nand eventually worldwide. Today it is estimated that 350 millionnpeople practice Buddhism.
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nAlsonon this date:
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nHana Matsuri, or Flower Festival, in Japan
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nAnniversary of the discovery of Venus de Milo
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