Buddhist festival marking the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha
This article is about a Buddhist festival. For the Hindu and Sikh new year festival, see Vaisakhi. For the disciple of Buddha, see Visakha.
Vesak
Vesak Day celebrations at Borobodur in Central Java, Indonesia
Official name
Vesak, Vesākha, Buddha Jayanti, Buddha Purnima, Vaishakh Purnima, Saka Dawa
Also called
Buddha's Birthday or Buddha Day
Type
Buddhist
Significance
Commemoration of the birth, enlightenment and death of The Buddha
Observances
Meditation, observing the Eight Precepts, partaking of vegetarian food, giving to charity, "bathing" the Buddha
Date
Full moon of the lunar month of Vesākha, usually in April, May or June.
2023 date
3 May (Myanmar)[1]
4 May (Cambodia, Malaysia)[2]
5 May (Sri Lanka)[3][4]
2 June (Singapore)[5]
3 June (Thailand)[6]
4 June (Indonesia)[7]
2024 date
22 May (Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand)[2][8][9][10]
23 May (Indonesia, Sri Lanka)[7][3]
2025 date
11 May (Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand)[8][10]
12 May (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka)[7][2][9][3]
2026 date
30 April (Myanmar)[8]
1 May (Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Thailand)[3][10]
31 May (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore)[7][2][9]
Frequency
Annual
Related to
Buddha's Birthday Other related festivals Laba Festival (in China) Rohatsu (in Japan)
Vesak (Pali: Vesākha; Sanskrit: Vaiśākha), also known as Buddha Jayanti,[11]Buddha Purnima,[12] and Buddha Day, is a holiday traditionally observed by Buddhists in South Asia and Southeast Asia, as well as Tibet and Mongolia.[13] It is among the most important Buddhist festivals. The festival commemorates the birth, enlightenment (Nibbāna), and death (Parinirvāna) of Gautama Buddha in Theravada, Tibetan Buddhism and Navayana.[14]
The name Vesak is derived from the Pali term vesākha or Sanskrit vaiśākha for the lunar month of Vaisakha, which is considered the month of Buddha's birth.[15] In Mahayana Buddhist traditions, the holiday is known by its Sanskrit name (Vaiśākha) and derived variants of it.
In the East Asian tradition, a celebration of Buddha's Birthday typically occurs around the traditional timing of Vesak, while the Buddha's awakening and death are celebrated as separate holidays that occur at other times in the calendar as Bodhi Day and Nibbāna Day. In the South Asian tradition, where Vesak is celebrated on the full moon day of the Vaisakha month, the Vesak day marks the birth, enlightenment, and the ultimate death of the Buddha.[16][17][18][19]
^"Myanmar regime pardons political detainees charged for incitement on Vesak Day". Myanmar Now. 3 May 2023. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023.
^ abcd"Wesak Day 2024, 2025 and 2026". PublicHolidays.com.my. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
^ abcd"Vesak Day 2024, 2025 and 2026". PublicHolidays.lk. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
^"Vesak Day". United Nations. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023.
^"Vesak Day revised to fall on June 2 next year; Singapore to have 7 long weekends in 2023". The Straits Times. 29 September 2022. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023.
^"Thai holidays in 2023". The Thaiger. 31 December 2022. Archived from the original on 31 December 2022.
^ abcd"Waisak Day 2024, 2025 and 2026". PublicHolidays.co.id. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
^ abc"Full Moon Day of Kasong 2024, 2025 and 2026 in Myanmar". PublicHolidays.asia. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
^ abc"Vesak Day 2024, 2025 and 2026". PublicHolidays.sg. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
^ abc"Visakha Bucha Day 2024, 2025 and 2026 in Thailand". PublicHolidays.asia. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
^"BBC on Buddhism". BBC Religions. BBC. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
^"Making History: Vesak Celebrated at the White House with Candle Offerings". 27 May 2021.
^Fowler, Jeaneane D. (1997). World Religions: it is celebrated to mark the birth, enlightenment and the passing away of the Lord Buddha. An Introduction for Students. Sussex Academic Press. ISBN 1-898723-48-6.
^"Visakha Puja". Accesstoinsight.org. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
^"Buddha Purnima 2021: Date, history, significance of Buddha Jayanti". 26 May 2021.
^"The Origins and Practices of Holidays: Vesak". 18 May 2019.[permanent dead link]
^"Buddha Purnima 2021: Why is Buddha Birth anniversary celebrated? Date, significance and importance of the day". 26 May 2021.
^"Vesak Festival". 7 May 2020. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016.
^"BUDDHA JAYANTI". 6 May 2020. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
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important Buddhist holiday of the year, being surpassed in importance by Vesak. Poson is celebrated throughout the island, with the most important ceremonies...
publicly hoisted on Vesak day, 28 May 1885 at the Dipaduttamarama, Kotahena, by Ven. Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera. This was the first Vesak public holiday...
Emirates) and Qatar, the workers from Sri Lanka were allowed to celebrate Vesak (the most important holiday in Buddhism) in those Islamic countries. It...
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second one will be preceded by "Adhi" ("extra" in Sinhala) as in "Adhi Vesak", "Adhi Poson", etc. List of Buddhist festivals Mid-Autumn Festival, similar...
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shootings of 9 Buddhists protesting the ban on displaying the Buddhist flag on Vesak, Buddha's birthday. This resulted in mass protests -the Buddhist crisis-...
February 21).[citation needed] Bodhi Day is not as popularly celebrated as Vesak Day, on which the birth, enlightenment (Nirvāna), and passing away (Parinirvāna)...
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which occurs during a new moon around the opposite node. In Buddhism, Vesak is celebrated on the full moon day of the Vaisakha month, marking the birth...
eight Theravādin Buddhist countries. The Council lasted from Vesak (Visākha) 1954 to Vesak 1956, its completion coinciding with the traditional 2500th...
observed by numerous denominations, always occurs on 29 June. In Buddhism, Vesak (Buddha Day), the most significant Buddhist festival, occurs on 2 June in...
still remaining president. In 2000, at the United Nations' first official Vesak celebration, Bodhi gave the keynote address. In 2002, after retiring as...
constructs a Vesak Pandol (a temporary huge electronically lit structure depicting the life of the Buddha) annually during the Vesak season. This attracts...
for the new Solar year - (Customary/Astrology related) May - Vesak Full Moon Poya (Vesak) - (Religious/Buddhist) June - Poson Full Moon Poya - (Religious/Buddhist)...
Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. "The International Day of Vesak | Philippines". Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved...
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