Kathina (供僧衣節)

Kathina is a Buddhist festival which comes at the end of Vassa, the three-month rainy season retreat for Theravada Buddhists. The season during which a monastery may hold a 'Kathina' festival is one month long, beginning after the full moon of the eleventh month in the Lunar calendar (usually October). It is a time of giving, for the laity to express gratitude to monks. Lay Buddhists bring donations to temples, especially new robes for the monks.

Origins
As the legend goes, thirty bhikkhus were journeying with the intention of spending Vassa with Gautama Buddha. However, Vassa began before they reached their destination and they had to stop. According to Buddha's guidelines for Vassa, mendicant monks shouldn't travel during the rainy season as they may unintentionally harm crops and/or insects during their journey. As such, the monks had to stop.

Afterwards, the Buddha rewarded the monks by demonstrating a way to practice sharing and generosity. A lay disciple had previously donated cloth to the Buddha, so the Buddha now gave that cloth to the group of monks and told them to make it into a robe and then offer it as a gift to one of them. A frame, called a Kathina, was used to spread the robe while it was being made.

To celebrate Kathina a temple must have at least 5 monks or above that spent 3 months for the rainy season retreat, hence Wat Sungai Siput doesnt have Kathina festival because there are currently just 3 monks in the temple.

供僧衣節（巴利 文：Kathina），又稱供僧大會、供僧節，佛教節日，源自於釋迦牟尼時代，至今在南傳佛教國家，如泰國、斯里蘭卡仍然保持了這個節日。供僧衣節是在雨 季結束後，連續進行一個月的儀式，它開始於陰曆中的第11次滿月後，大約相當於陽曆的十月。供僧衣節，是在雨季結束之後，僧團結束結夏安居。在家居士在此 時準備僧服，用來供奉出家僧侶。

如果一家寺庙要举办供僧大会的话，必须拥有至少5位僧侣在该庙度过3个月的守夏节，目前空怀泰佛寺只有3位僧吕，因此没有举办供僧大会。