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Butsumetsu, the unlucky day
The "Buddha's death" day of the rokuyo cycle: the one most couples in Japan avoid for a wedding.
When is Butsumetsu, the unlucky day in 2026?
Butsumetsu, the unlucky day 2026 is on Wednesday, 7 October 2026. The date follows the moon or a local calendar, so it can move by a day. Other years: 2027, Friday, 1 January 2027; 2028, Saturday, 1 January 2028.
About Butsumetsu, the unlucky day
Of the six days of the rokuyo cycle, butsumetsu is counted the unluckiest, and its name, said to mean the death of the Buddha, makes it the day on which a wedding is least likely to be held. Wedding halls cut prices on it, and couples who do not mind the folk belief can have a good date for less. The rokuyo are not religious and Buddhist teaching does not support them, but many guests still look at the calendar. The dates follow the old lunar calendar.
Butsumetsu, the unlucky day dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Butsumetsu, the unlucky day date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday, 7 October 2026 |
| 2027 | Friday, 1 January 2027 |
| 2028 | Saturday, 1 January 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.
Wedding customs of Butsumetsu, the unlucky day
Also part of it, and being written: Rokuyō (The six-day cycle.).
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background: "Rokuyō" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Shinto wedding: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, source