Chinese New Year’s celebration IBPS Switzerland

Fo Guang Shan Switzerland
February 5, 2025

To welcome the new lunar year of the snake, Fo Guang Shan Switzerland held its annual Thousand Buddha Worship Ceremony on February 2. About 350 people, not only from Switzerland but also from neighbouring Germany, visited the temple to worship Buddha. The ceremony began with the recitation of New Year mantras, Lighting of the New Year Incense and the homage to the Thousand Buddhas Dharma service, followed by the reading of Master Hsing Yun's ‘Prayer for the New Year’.

In addition to the Buddha worship and lantern offering, a special area  was also equipped with a wishing stand next to the Avalokiteshvara statue, where devotees could write down their wishes and hang them on the wishing stand. Whether it was career advancement, family happiness, health and longevity, or world peace on prayed for success in their careers and prosperity in the coming year.

After the Dharma service, devotees flocked to the charity stalls to purchase various tempting delicacies. The stalls were full of festive food that contained a mix of Southeast Asian and Chinese flavors. Inside and outside the temple, there was a constant flow of people either having a good time with friends and relatives or enjoying vegetarian delicacies at the food court.

The climax of the activities began promptly at 1:30 p.m. and was kicked off by a stunning lion dance performance, bringing a festive atmosphere to the temple with the sound of powerful gongs and drums as the lions leapt and spun. This traditional performance symbolizes expelling evil spirits and blessings, and the audience responded enthusiastically, adding to the joyful atmosphere of the Chinese New Year.

After the lion dance, there were various singing performances, including a solo song by Ms Wang Xia entitled ‘I am a lotus in front of the Buddha’, and then she led our choir ‘Sound of the Human World’ in singing ‘The Four Verses’ of Buddha's Light. The next performance was the "Duet for Guqin and Flute" and the final singing part was performed by Ms Shanshan Sun, the professional singer, with the song ‘Xin Liang’. Her clear and sonorous voice left a lasting impression on the audience.

The most remarkable moment was when Julian from Germany, who played the God of Wealth, came into the hall after the music started and handed out sweeties to all ages, symbolising that everyone should be kind and live in harmony with each other.

As the event draw to a close, Venerable Miaoyen gave each guest a red lucky pocket and the couplet from the Great Master Hsing Yun's auspicious words for the year 2025: "Keep going, the future is bright," meaning that everyone will be blessed and full of hope in the coming year.