The celebration of Magha Puja has many significances. Most importantly, the holiday is the basis of the Buddhist religion. The "Ovadha Patimokha" is the sermon which the Buddha gave on Magha Puja day. The sermon was defined by the Buddha's three principles which entailed (1) never do evil, (2) always do good, and (3) to purify your mind through regular meditation. It included the Buddha's teachings as well as the Buddhist philosophy. This day also represents the Buddha passing on his teachings to the 1250 monks who gathered spontaneously so that future Buddhists as well as the lay people can understand his philosophies. On this day, it is said that the Buddha announced the prophecy he had made regarding the day he would die to the Buddhist monks. (Cizemore, Russel F., and Sweaper, Donald K.. Ethics, Wealth and Salvation: A Study in Buddhist Social Ethics . Columbia , South Carolina.: University of South Carolina Press. 1990.) ( Basic Buddhism Course! . Bangkok : O.S. Printing House, 1991.) Magha Puja Day is similar to what the Revitalization movement represents as explained by Turner. Much like people of Islam, Christianity and Hinduism, the Buddhist people of Laos "reorganize traditional ritual practice in response to outside stresses." (Angeloni, Elvio. Anthropology . McGraw-Hill/Dushkin. 2003.)

  Because 60% of the Lao population is Buddhist, this holiday is of great significance in terms of religion, politics and social structure. The comprehension of this day is not as widespread as other holidays and many people therefore participate less in Magha Puja. However, the symbolic importance of the day is powerful for all Buddhists. This day allows people from varying environments to congregate and bond over the celebration of Buddhism. The day emphasizes meditation, and never doing evil in hopes of reaching ultimate happiness (nirvana), while giving the gatherers hope as well as a base for life.