Next: about 26 Oct 2026
Ok Phansa
The end of the Buddhist rains retreat: monks leave their three-month stay, and people offer new robes and light lanterns.
When is Ok Phansa in 2026?
Ok Phansa 2026 is on Monday, 26 October 2026. The date follows the moon or a local calendar, so it can move by a day. Other years: 2027, Friday, 15 October 2027; 2028, Tuesday, 3 October 2028.
About Ok Phansa
Ok Phansa marks the end of Vassa, the three-month rainy season retreat of monks, which starts at Asalha Puja. During the retreat, monks stay in their monasteries and many lay Buddhists take extra vows or give up smoking and drinking. On the full moon at the end, monks hold a pavarana ceremony of confessing and forgiving. Lay people offer food at dawn, and the following month is the kathina period when new robes are presented to the temple community. In Laos, Lai Heua Fai sees boats with lights set on the Mekong, and the Naga fireballs of Nong Khai are said to rise from the river. In Myanmar, the Thadingyut festival of lights follows.
Ok Phansa dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Ok Phansa date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Monday, 26 October 2026 |
| 2027 | Friday, 15 October 2027 |
| 2028 | Tuesday, 3 October 2028 |
This date follows the moon or a local calendar and can move by a day, so check with a local source nearer the time.
What is eaten
- sticky rice
- khanom tom
Traditions of Ok Phansa
Also part of it, and being written: Kathina (The robe-offering season that follows.).
More marked on Ok Phansa
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Vassa" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.