Wesak (or Vesak) is one of the most important Buddhist holidays. It is always celebrated during full moon in May, which this year falls onto May 5^th.

Wesak celebrates the birthday, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha. The death of the Buddha is not a sad occasion because it simply marks the day when the Buddha finally reached Nirvana, a heavenly state where there is no pain or suffering… Enlightenment and death in Buddhism mean the escape from the cycle of death and rebirth, a release from Karma. Buddha literally means ‘one who is awake.’

Wesak is a very lighthearted, cheerful celebration full of colour. Homes are often decorated. In Thailand, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka, for example, Wesak is celebrated with an abundance of colorful lanterns. China has incorporated the traditional dragon dance into the festivities. In countries like Japan Wesak is mostly celebrated in Buddhist temples where ceremonies are performed by monks and nuns.

Celebrating Wesak also means bringing happiness and fortune to others. Donating to charities, helping out the aging, disabled, and others less fortunate is common on this day.

Happy Wesak everyone!

Also in May:

World No-Tobacco Day – May 31st

International Day for UN Peacekeepers – May 29th

Africa Day – May 25th

The Day of Cyrillic Alphabet – May 24th

International Day for Biological Diversity – May 22nd

Cultural Diversity Day – May 21st

Cultural Diversity Day: A Special ‘Hello!’

World Day Against Homophobia – May 17th

World Telecommunications and Information Society Day – May 17th

Mastering the Art of Cheek Kissing

International Day of Families – May 15th

World Fair Trade Day – May 12th

Red Cross Crescent Day – May 8th

Europe Day – May 9th

World Press Freedom Day – May 3rd

May Day – May 1st

Tags: Buddha, China, Enlightenment, Malaysia, Nirvana, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vesak, Wesak

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 5th, 2012 at 9:00 am and is filed under days of significance, East Asia, General, social practices . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.