ANAHEIM, CA — The Orange County Buddhist Church will present its annual Hanamatsuri Service on Sunday, April 5, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., at its temple located at 909 S. Dale Avenue, Anaheim, California, with a simultaneous YouTube livestream available to the public.
Hanamatsuri, also known as the Flower Festival, commemorates the birth of Siddhārtha Gautama, who later became Śākyamuni, the historical Buddha. While widely known by its Japanese name, the observance is more formally called Kanbutsu‑e, meaning “bathe‑the‑Buddha gathering,” a ritual symbolizing the gentle, flower‑scented rain said to have fallen at the Buddha’s birth in Lumbini Garden.
This year’s hybrid service will feature guest speakers Rev. JP Guzman, speaking in English, of the San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, and Rev. Shigeo Nagayama, speaking in Japanese, of the Higashi Honganji Newport Beach Buddhist Temple.
The service will be livestreamed on the Orange County Buddhist Church YouTube channel, allowing viewers near and far to participate. A link to the livestream is available in advance on the church’s YouTube page.
For those interested in Buddhist liturgy, a downloadable PDF of the church’s most commonly used chants is available on the Orange County Buddhist Church website.
