February 15th is the day when Mahayana Buddhists all over the world honor the death and final liberation of Shakyamuni Buddha (see Parinirvana). The scene, as described by Thich Nhat Hanh:
The Buddha looked quietly over the community and then said “Bhikkus, listen to what the Tathagata now says. Dharmas are impermanent. If there is birth, there is death. Be diligent in your efforts to attain liberation!”
The Buddha closed his eyes. He had spoken his last words. The earth shook. Sal blossoms fell like rain. Everyone felt their minds and bodies tremble. They knew the Buddha had passed into nirvana.
- Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha (1991)
[NOTE: Image is the exquisite, reclining Buddhha statue at Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. Carved in the 12 century from a single outcrop of banded granite].