Vesak ( Pali: ''Vesākha''; sa, Vaiśākha), also known as Buddha Jayanti, Buddha Purnima and Buddha Day, is a holiday traditionally observed by

Buddhists Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

in South Asia and Southeast Asia as well as Tibet and Mongolia. The festival commemorates the birth, enlightenment ( Nibbāna), and death ( Parinirvāna) of Gautama Buddha in Theravada, Tibetan Buddhism and Navayana. The name ''Vesak'' is derived from the Pali term ' or Sanskrit ' for the lunar month of Vaisakha, which is considered the month of Buddha's birth. 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 passing away 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 passing away of the Buddha.

History

The birth of the Buddha; scene with Queen Maya Wellcome V0046076

Although Buddhist festivals have centuries-old tradition, the first conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists held in Sri Lanka in 1950 formalized the decision to celebrate Vesak as the Buddha's birthday across multiple Buddhist countries. The resolution that was adopted at the World Conference reads as follows: On Vesak Day, Buddhists all over the world commemorate events of significance to Buddhists of all traditions: The birth, enlightenment and the passing away of Gautama Buddha. As Buddhism spread from India it was assimilated into many foreign cultures, and consequently Vesak is celebrated in many different ways all over the world. In India, Vaishakh Purnima day is also known as Buddha Jayanti day and has been traditionally accepted as Buddha's birth day. In 2000, the United Nations (UN) resolved to internationally observe the day of Vesak at its headquarters and offices.

Celebration

The month of May usually has one full moon, but as there are 29.5 days between full moons, occasionally there are two. If there are two full moons during the month of May, some countries (including Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Malaysia) celebrate Vesak on the first full moon, while others (Thailand, Singapore) celebrate the holiday on the second full moon. The difference also manifests in the observance of other Buddhist holidays, which are traditionally observed at the local full moon. On Vesak, devout Buddhists and followers alike assemble in their various temples before dawn for the ceremonial and honorable hoisting of the Buddhist flag and the singing of hymns in praise of the holy triple gem: The Buddha, The

Dharma Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for '' ...

(his teachings), and The Sangha (his disciples). Devotees may bring simple offerings of flowers, candles and

joss-sticks Incense is aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremony. It may also be ...

to lay at the feet of their teacher. These symbolic offerings are to remind followers that just as the beautiful flowers would wither away after a short while, and the candles and joss-sticks would soon burn out, so too is life subject to decay and destruction. Devotees are enjoined to make a special effort to refrain from killing of any kind. They are encouraged to partake only of vegetarian food for the day. In some countries, notably Sri Lanka, two days are set aside for the celebration of Vesak, and all liquor shops and slaughter houses are closed by government decree during the two days. Also birds, insects and animals are released by the thousands in what is known as

life release Life release is a traditional Buddhist practise of saving the lives of beings that were destined for slaughter. This practise is performed by all schools of Buddhism: Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana.banned in some countries such as Singapore, as the released animals are unable to survive long-term or may adversely impact the local ecosystem if they do.) Some devout Buddhists will wear simple white clothing and spend the whole day in temples with renewed determination to observe the eight precepts. WesakDay

Devout Buddhists undertake to lead a noble life according to the teaching by making daily affirmations to observe the Five Precepts. However, on special days, notably new moon and full moon days, they observe the eight precepts to train themselves to practice morality, simplicity, and humility. Some temples also display a small statue of the Buddha in front of the altar in a small basin decorated with flowers, and filled with water or sweet tea for devotees to pour over the statue. This is symbolic of the cleansing of a practitioner's bad karma, and to reenact the events following the Buddha's birth, when devas and spirits made heavenly offerings to him. Devotees are expected to listen to talks given by monks. On this day, monks will recite verses uttered by the Buddha twenty-five centuries ago to invoke peace and happiness for the government and the people. Buddhists are reminded to live in harmony with people of other faiths and to respect the beliefs of other people as the Buddha taught.

Bringing happiness to others

Celebrating Vesak also means making special efforts to bring happiness to the unfortunate like the aged, the disabled, and the sick. To this day, Buddhists will distribute gifts in the form of cash, or volunteering in various charitable homes throughout the country. Vesak is also a time for great joy and happiness, expressed not by pandering to one's appetites, but by concentrating on useful activities such as decorating and illuminating temples, or painting and creating exquisite scenes from the life of the Buddha for public dissemination. Devout Buddhists also vie with one another to provide refreshments and vegetarian food to followers who visit the temple to pay homage to the Enlightened One.

Paying homage to the Buddha

According to tradition the Buddha instructed followers how to pay him homage. Just before he died, he saw his faithful attendant Ananda, weeping. The Buddha advised him not to weep, instead to understand the universal law that all compounded things (including even his own body) must disintegrate. He advised everyone not to cry over the disintegration of the physical body but to regard his teachings (The Dharma) as their teacher from then on, because only the truth of the Dhamma is eternal, and not subject to the law of change. He also stressed that the way to pay homage to him was not merely by offering flowers, incense, and lights, but by truly and sincerely striving to follow his teachings.

Dates of observance

The exact date of Vesak is based on Asian

lunisolar calendar A lunisolar calendar is a calendar in many cultures, combining lunar calendars and solar calendars. The date of Lunisolar calendars therefore indicates both the Moon phase and the time of the solar year, that is the position of the Sun in the Ea ...

s and is primarily celebrated in Vaisakha, a month of both the Buddhist and

Hindu calendar The Hindu calendar, Panchanga () or Panjika is one of various lunisolar calendars that are traditionally used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with further regional variations for social and Hindu religious purposes. They adopt a s ...

s, hence the name Vesak. In Nepal, which is considered the birth-country of Buddha, it is celebrated on the full moon day of the Vaisakha month of the

, and is traditionally called Buddha Purnima, Purnima meaning the full moon day in Sanskrit. In Theravada countries following the Buddhist calendar, it falls on Uposatha Day, the full moon typically in the 5th or 6th lunar month. Nowadays, in Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Malaysia, Vesak/Buddha Purnima is celebrated on the day of the first full moon in May in the Gregorian calendar. For countries using the lunisolar calendar, the date for Vesak or Buddha's Birthday varies from year to year in the Gregorian calendar, but usually falls in April or May; in leap years it may be celebrated in June. In Bhutan it is celebrated on the 15th day of the fourth month of the Bhutanese lunar calendar. In Thailand, Laos, Singapore and Indonesia, Vesak is celebrated on the fourteenth or fifteenth day of the fourth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. In China, Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines, Buddha's Birthday is celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. In Japan, Buddha's Birthday is observed on the same date but in the Gregorian calendar, i.e. 8 April. In Myanmar, Buddha's Birthday is celebrated as Full Moon of Kasun and is a public holiday. It is celebrated by watering the Bodhi tree and chanting. In large pagodas, music and dance is also performed as part of the celebrations In the following table, year 2021 date as per the Buddhist calendar 2600 Sambuddhatva jayanthi in Jetavana 02

2600 Sambuddhatva jayanthi in Jetavana 02

In Southeast Asia

In Laos

The Vixakha Bouxa festival is the Lao version of the Thai Visakha Puja, which it closely resembles. It commemorates the birth,

enlightenment Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to: Age of Enlightenment * Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...

, and death of the Buddha, which are all said to have happened on the same date. It is held around the month of May or ''Vesak'', based on the lunar calendar. Celebrations include dances, poems,

parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...

s, processions, deep meditation, theatrical performances, and puppet shows.

=Boun Bang Fay

= One part of the Vixakha Bouxa festival is called Boun Bang Fay, or Rocket Festival. As this occurs during the hottest and driest season of the year, large homemade rockets are launched into the sky in an attempt to convince the celestial beings to send down rain. Traditionally, Buddhist monks made the rockets out of hollow bamboo tubes filled with gunpowder (among other things). Nowadays, lay people make the ''bang fai'' more like fireworks and hold competitions for the highest, fastest and most colorful rockets. The event takes place on both sides of the Mekhong River border between Thailand and the Lao People's Democratic Republic, and sometimes teams from the neighbouring countries will compete against each other. Tourists travel long distances to witness this now popular event.

In Indonesia

This significant and traditional holy day is observed throughout Indonesia, where it is known as Waisak Day. At Borobudur, thousands of Buddhist monks will join to repeat mantras and meditate as they circuit the temple in a ritual called "Pradaksina". This is a form of tribute to the temple. Monks celebrate the special day by bottling holy water (which symbolises humility) and transporting flames (which symbolize light and enlightenment) from location to location. The monks also take part in the "Pindapata" ritual, where they receive charity from the people of Indonesia. Waisak Day in Indonesia has been celebrated as a national public holiday every year since 1983.

In Malaysia

Celebrated by Buddhists to mark three momentous events in Buddha's life – his birth, enlightenment, and his departure from the human world, the Wesak celebration in Malaysia begins at dawn when devotees gather at Buddhist temples nationwide to meditate on the Eight Precepts. Donations – giving food to the needy and offerings of incense and joss sticks – and prayers are carried out. The sutras are chanted in unison by monks in saffron robes. The celebration is highlighted by a candle procession. Wesak Day in Malaysia is a national public holiday.

In Myanmar (Burma)

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

(Burma), Vesak is known as the Full Moon Day of

Kason Kason ( my, ကဆုန်; mnw, ပသာ်) is the second month of the traditional Burmese calendar. Festivals and observances *Vesak, Full Moon of Kason () ** Bodhi tree, Bodhi Tree Watering Festival () Kason symbols *Flower: ''Magnolia ch ...

(ကဆုန်လပြည့် ဗုဒ္ဓနေ့), which is the second month in the traditional Burmese calendar. The date is a public gazetted holiday. Buddhist devotees typically celebrate by offering alms to Buddhist monks, adhering to a more stringent set of Buddhist precepts, practicing meditation, and freeing fish and birds from captivity. Throughout the country, the date is also marked by a traditional festival called the ''Nyaungye-thun'' or "Bodhi tree water pouring festival" (), whereby devotees visit pagodas or monasteries ( kyaung) to pour scented water to sacred Bodhi Trees using clay pots, to ensure the trees, which hold great significance in Buddhism, do not die during the peak of summer. This tradition dates back to the pre-colonial era and continues to take place at major pagodas such as the Shwekyetyet and Shwekyetkya Pagodas in the former royal capital of

Amarapura Amarapura ( my, အမရပူရ, MLCTS=a. ma. ra. pu ra., , ; also spelt as Ummerapoora) is a former capital of Myanmar, and now a township of Mandalay city. Amarapura is bounded by the Irrawaddy river in the west, Chanmyathazi Township in t ...

. A

Konbaung era The Konbaung dynasty ( my, ကုန်းဘောင်ခေတ်, ), also known as Third Burmese Empire (တတိယမြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော်) and formerly known as the Alompra dynasty (အလောင်းဘ ...

court poet,

Letwe Thondara Letwe Thondara ( my, လက်ဝဲသုန္ဒရ , also spelt Let-wè Thôn-dara), was the honorary title of a classical Burmese poet and minister during the Konbaung dynasty. His specific ministerial title was ''Away-Yauk-Min'', my, အဝ� ...

composed a complete set of ''yadu'' poems describing this festival in Meza Hill, near Katha, where he had been exiled by King Hsinbyushin.

In the Philippines

In the Philippines, the date of Vesak (known as ''Kaarawan ni Buddha'' or ''Araw ni Buddha'') follows the

Chinese lunar calendar The traditional Chinese calendar (also known as the Agricultural Calendar ��曆; 农历; ''Nónglì''; 'farming calendar' Former Calendar ��曆; 旧历; ''Jiùlì'' Traditional Calendar ��曆; 老历; ''Lǎolì'', is a lunisolar calendar ...

. Like China and Japan, Filipinos also bathe statues on this day.

In Singapore

In Singapore, Vesak Day was made a public holiday in 1955 after many public petitions, replacing Whit Monday. In the early decades of the 20th century, Vesak Day was associated with the Ceylonese community which then celebrated it along with their National Day in a two-day event. After World War II, there was a movement to make Vesak Day a public holiday, with the Singapore Buddhist Association leading the petitions.

In Vietnam

In Vietnam, Vesak is also known as ''Phật Đản''. From 1958 to 1975, Vesak was a national public holiday in South Vietnam. It was a public festival with floats, and lantern parades on the streets. Under the President

Ngô Đình Diệm Ngô Đình Diệm ( or ; ; 3 January 1901 – 2 November 1963) was a South Vietnamese politician. He was the final prime minister of the State of Vietnam (1954–1955), and then served as the first president of South Vietnam (Republic of ...

, a member of Vietnam's Catholic minority, South Vietnamese Buddhists were not allowed to celebrate Vesak, and faced many other restrictions. On 8 May 1963, the day of Vesak in Vietnam, more than 3000 Vietnamese Buddhists were protesting President Diệm's ban on the Buddhist flag in the city of Huế. Tensions rose throughout the day, and as protesters gathered around a government radio station, the Vietnamese army and police were called in to disperse the crowd. Soon after, the army started to shoot and throw grenades into the crowd. Nine were killed, and four were seriously injured. These events are considered to be the beginning of Vietnam's

Buddhist crisis The Buddhist crisis ( vi, Biến cố Phật giáo) was a period of political and religious tension in South Vietnam between May and November 1963, characterized by a series of repressive acts by the South Vietnamese government and a campaign of ...

, which culminated in a governmental coup and the assassination of President Diệm. Successive South Vietnamese Governments recognized Vesak as a public holiday and allowed the celebrations to go on. However, after the Fall of Saigon, the day was no longer a public holiday. Since the 2000s, the festival has witnessed a revival across the country. The Vesak Celebration is officially held by the Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha every year and it aggregated international delegates for great events in 2008, 2014, 2019 (the 16th United Nations Day of Vesak Celebration).

In South Asia

In Nepal

Vesak, commonly known in Nepal as "Buddha Jayanti" is widely celebrated all across the country, predominantly, Lumbini – the birthplace of Buddha, and

Swayambhu Swayambhu ( sa, स्वयंभू) is a Sanskrit word that means "self-manifested", "self-existing", or "that is created by its own accord". Often, the word swayambhu is used to describe a self-manifested image of a deity, which was not made ...

– the holy temple for Buddhists, also known as "the Monkey Temple". The main door of

is opened only on this very day, therefore, people from all over Kathmandu valley are stimulated by the event. Thousands of pilgrims from various parts of the world come together to celebrate Buddha's birthday at his birthplace, Lumbini. In Nepal, Buddha is worshipped by all religious groups, therefore "Buddha Jayanti" is marked by a public holiday. People donate foods and clothes to the needy and also provide financial aid to monasteries and schools where Buddhism is taught and practised.

In Sri Lanka

Vesak is celebrated as a religious and a cultural festival in

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

on the full moon of the lunar month of Vesak (usually in the Gregorian month of May), for about one week, and this festival is often celebrated by people of different religions in Sri Lanka. During this week, the selling of alcohol and fresh meat is usually prohibited, with slaughter houses also being closed. Celebrations include religious and alms-giving activities. Electrically lit

pandal A ''pandal'' in India and neighbouring countries, is a fabricated structure, either temporary or permanent, that is used at many places such as either outside a building or in an open area such as along a public road or in front of a house. This ca ...

s called ''thoranas'' are erected in locations mainly in Colombo, Kandy, Galle and elsewhere, most sponsored by donors, religious societies and welfare groups. Each pandal illustrates a story from the Jataka tales. In addition, colorful lanterns called ''"Vesak kuudu"'' are hung along streets and in front of homes. They signify the light of the Buddha, Dharma and the Sangha. Food stalls set up by Buddhist devotees called "''dansälas"'' provide free food, ice-cream and drinks to passersby. Groups of people from community organizations, businesses and government departments sing ''bhakti gee'' (Buddhist devotional songs). Colombo experiences a massive influx of people from all parts of the country during this week.

In India

In India, the full moon day of the Vaisakha month of the

is celebrated as Buddha Purnima. The festival is commonly known as Buddha Purnima, as Purnima means full moon day in Sanskrit and Hindi languages. It is also called Buddha Jayanti, with Jayanti meaning birthday in Sanskrit. The festival is a public holiday in India.

In Bangladesh

Vesak Day is an important festival for all

Bengali Buddhists Bengali Buddhists ( bn, বাঙালি বৌদ্ধ) are a religious subgroup of the Bengalis who adhere to or practice the religion of Buddhism. Bengali Buddhist people mainly live in Bangladesh and Indian states West Bengal and Tripura. ...

. In Bangladesh, it is celebrated in

Chittagong Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in B ...

, Dhaka, and other Buddhist regions in the country. In the Bangla language, it is known as Buddho Purnima. It is also a public holiday in Bangladesh.

In East Asia

In Japan

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, Vesak or is also known as , ), , , and . It is not a public holiday. It is based on a legend that nine dragons appeared in the sky on the Buddha's birthday and poured

amṛta ''Amrita'' ( sa, अमृत, IAST: ''amṛta''), ''Amrit'' or ''Amata'' in Pali, (also called ''Sudha'', ''Amiy'', ''Ami'') is a Sanskrit word that means "immortality". It is a central concept within Indian religions and is often referred to ...

over him. It used to be celebrated on the 8th day of the fourth month in the

Chinese calendar The traditional Chinese calendar (also known as the Agricultural Calendar ��曆; 农历; ''Nónglì''; 'farming calendar' Former Calendar ��曆; 旧历; ''Jiùlì'' Traditional Calendar ��曆; 老历; ''Lǎolì'', is a lunisolar calendar ...

based on one of the legends that proclaims the day as Buddha's birthday. At present, the celebration is observed on 8 April of the Solar Calendar since the government of Meiji Japan adopted the western solar calendar as the official calendar. Since the 8th day of the fourth month in the lunar calendar commonly falls in May of the current solar calendar, it is now celebrated about a month earlier. In Japan, Vesak celebrations include pouring , a sweet tea made from '' Hydrangea macrophylla'', on statues. In Buddhist religious sites such as temples and viharas, more involved ceremonies are conducted for lay Buddhists, priests, and monks and nuns.

In South Korea

KOCIS Korea YeonDeungHoe 20130511 05 (8733836165)

In South Korea the birthday of Buddha is celebrated on the 8th day of the 4th month in the Korean lunar calendar (as well as in Hong Kong, Macau) and is an official holiday. This day is called (Seokga tansinil), meaning "Buddha's birthday" or (Bucheonim osin nal) meaning "the day when the Buddha came". It has now grown into one of the nation's biggest cultural festivals. Lotus lanterns cover the entire temple throughout the month which are often flooded down the street. On the day of Buddha's birth, many temples provide free meals and tea to all visitors. The breakfast and lunch provided are often sanchae bibimbap. Yeondeunghoe (연등회) is a lantern-lighting festival in Korea celebrating the Buddha's Birthday. It is inscribed in UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List from 2020 and enlisted as South Korean Intangible Cultural Property from 2012.

Outside Asia

In Canada

An annual event known as ''Vesak: Buddha's Birthday'' is celebrated in Toronto in its three major three Buddhist temples, that represent the three main branches of Buddhism. Held at Mississauga Celebration Square, it features a number of Buddhist-themed events and activities, as well as cultural acts from Asia, including China, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

In United States

The celebration of Vesak or Buddha's Birthday in the United States differs among different Buddhist communities, depending on their ethnicity and nationality. In

Maui The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...

, Hawaii the community is usually invited to celebrate Vesak Day (the birth of Buddha) on the full moon of Vaisakha at Chua Tu Hanh Buddhist Temple in Kahului, where there is guided sitting meditation and dharma talk by a Zen master; which is followed by the bathing ceremony of the baby Buddha and a joyful meal to end the evening. The state of Hawaii has officially recognized April 8 of each year as "Buddha Day", which celebrates the birth of Gautama Buddha. In the

Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Gov ...

of California, the Japanese celebration on April 8 has also been significant for several decades. In 1968 the first circumambulation of Mt. Tamalpais to celebrate Buddha's Birthday was conducted. Starting in 1969 at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, ''Hana-Matsuri (花ーまつり - flower festival)'' was celebrated each spring. Dressed in formal black robes, the roughly 70 monks and students form a formal procession to the Horse Pasture with the leader periodically ringing a small, clear bell. A temporary stone altar was built under a huge oak tree in a gorgeous field of green grass and abundant wildflowers; a small statue of a baby Buddha was placed upon it in a metal basin. Then each person, in turn, approaches the altar, and ladle one thin-lipped bamboo dipperful of sweet green tea over the statue, bow, and walk to one side.

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

celebrates the ''International Lotus Lantern Parade'', an annual event held at Union Square Park. The event celebrates the Buddha's birthday and ''Yeon Deung Hoe'' (연등회,燃燈會), a Korean lantern celebration that is held during ''Vesak''. The festival features a number of Buddhist themed events and is started off by numerous Buddhist centers of Japanese, Korean and Sri Lankan origins for example.

United Nations

On 15 December 1999 the United Nations

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...

adopted resolution 54/115, entitled 'International recognition of the Day of Vesak at United Nations Headquarters and other United Nations offices'. The proposal to declare Vesak as an international public holiday was tabled at the United Nations General Assembly by Sri Lanka. The resolution internationally recognized the Day of Vesak to acknowledge the contributions that Lord Buddha and Buddhism have made for over two and a half millennia. It also called for annual commemoration of the day at the UN Headquarters, in New York, UNESCO and other UN offices around the world. International celebrations since 2000 included the first Vesak celebration in the UN (New York) on 15 May 2000. 34 countries were represented.Mahinda Deegalle. 2018. ''Vesak, Peace and Harmony: Thinking of Buddhist Heritage, ch. 1''. The Day of Vesak is an official holiday for the UN offices in many of the countries in South-East Asia.

International Vesak summit

Thailand has hosted an international Vesak summit 11 times, Vietnam 3 times and Sri Lanka 1 time. *25 May 2004 - 1st Asian Summit - Buddhamonthon, Thailand *18-21 May 2005 - 2nd Asian Summit - Bangkok, Thailand *2006 - 3rd Asian Summit - Thailand *2007 - 4th Asian Summit - Thailand *2008 - 5th Asian Summit - Vietnam *2009 - 6th Asian Summit - Thailand *2010 - 7th Asian Summit - Thailand *2011 - 8th Asian Summit - Thailand *2012 - 9th Asian Summit - Thailand *2013 - 10th Asian Summit - Thailand *2014 - 11th Asian Summit - Vietnam *2015 - 12th Asian Summit - Thailand *2016 - 13th Asian Summit - Thailand *2017 - 14th Asian Summit - Sri Lanka *2018 - 15th Asian Summit - Thailand *2019 - 16th Asian Summit - Vietnam

Local renditions

There are multiple local renditions of the Vesak festival name, varying by local language, including: * as, বুদ্ধ পূর্ণিমা ''Buddho Purnima'' * bn, বুদ্ধ পূর্ণিমা ''Buddho Purnima'', ''Buddho Joyonti'' * dz, སྟོན་པའི་དུས་ཆེན་༥ འཛོམས་ ''Dhüchen Nga Zom'' * my, ကဆုန်လပြည့် ဗုဒ္ဓနေ့ "Full Moon Day of Kason" * , (Buddha's Birthday or Birthday of the Gautama Buddha), 佛誕 (''Fódàn'', Birthday of the Buddha), 浴佛節 (''Yùfójié'', Occasion of Bathing the Buddha), 衛塞節 (''Wèisāi jié'' Vesak Day), 偉大的衛塞節花節偉大的滿月 (''Wěidà de wèi sāi jié huā jié wěidà de mǎnyuè'' Great Vesak Day Flower Festival Full Moon of Flower Moon) * french: Vesak * hi, बुद्ध पूर्णिमा ''Buddha Pūrṇimā'', ''Buddha Jayantī'', ''Vaisākh Pūrṇimā'' * ja, 花祭り ''Hanamatsuri'' (Flower Festival) * km, វិសាខបូជា ''Visak Bochea'' * kn, ಬುದ್ಧ ಪೌರ್ಣಮಿ ''Buddha Pournami'' * (Birthday of the Shakyamuni Buddha), ko, 부처님오신날 (Buddha's Day) * lo, ວິສາຂະບູຊາ ''Vixakha Bouxa'' *

Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...

: **''Hari Wesak'' (Jawi: , Malaysian) **''Hari Vesak'' ( Singapore), **''Hari Waisak'' or ''Hari Raya Waisak'' (

Indonesian Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to: * Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia ** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago ** Indonesian ...

) * ml, വൈശാഖ പൗർണമി, ബുദ്ധ പൂർണിമ, ബുദ്ധ ജയന്തി *

Mon Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to: Places * Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar * Mon, India, a town in Nagaland * Mon district, Nagaland * Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India * Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons * An ...

: တ္ၚဲကျာ်ဗုဒ္ဓ ဗပေၚ်ပသာ် "Buddha Day Full Moon of Pasāk" * mn, Бурхан Багшийн Их Дүйцэн Өдөр ''Burkhan Bagshiin Ikh Düitsen Ödör'' (Lord Buddha's Great Festival Day) * russian: День рождения Гаутамы Будды ''Den' rozhdeniya Gautamy Buddy'' (Birthday of the Gautama Buddha), russian: День Гаутамы Будды (''Den' Gautamy Buddy'' Gautama Buddha's Day), russian: Великий День Цветов Весак (''Velikiy Den' Tsvetov Vesak'' Great Vesak Flower Day), russian: День Весака (''Den' Vesaka'' Vesak Day), russian: День Будды (''Den' Buddy'' Buddha's Day), russian: Буддийское рождество (''Buddiyskoye rozhdestvo'' Buddhist Christmas) * mr, बुद्ध पौर्णिमा ''Buddha Pournima'' * ne, बुद्ध पुर्णिमा ''Buddha Purnima'', ''Buddha Jayanti'' * new, स्वांया पुन्हि ''Swānyā Punhi'' * or, ବୁଦ୍ଧ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣିମା ''Buddha Purnimā'' * si, වෙසක් ''Vesak,'' වෛශාක්‍ය Vaishakya * ta, விசாகத் திருநாள் ''Vicākat Tirunāḷ'' * tl, Araw ni Buddha (''Buddha's Day'') * te, బుద్ధ పౌర్ణమి ''Buddha Pournami'' or alternatively వైశాఖ పౌర్ణమి ''Vaisakha Pournami'' * th, วิสาขบูชา * * vi, Lễ Phật Đản;

Chữ Hán Chữ Hán (𡨸漢, literally "Chinese characters", ), Chữ Nho (𡨸儒, literally "Confucian characters", ) or Hán tự (漢字, ), is the Vietnamese term for Chinese characters, used to write Văn ngôn (which is a form of Classical Chinese ...

: 禮佛誕 (Birthday of the Buddha), vi, Ngày hội hoa Phật (Buddha's Lord Flower Festival Day)

References

External links

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The Significance of Vesak – Buddha Day
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vesak Articles containing video clips Birthdays Buddhist festivals Buddhist holidays Observances held on the full moon April observances May observances June observances Observances on non-Gregorian calendars Hindu festivals in India Public holidays in Indonesia Public holidays in Malaysia Public holidays in Nepal Public holidays in Singapore Public holidays in Sri Lanka Public holidays in Thailand Buddhist festivals in India Religious festivals in Indonesia Buddhist festivals in Nepal Observances set by the Burmese calendar Buddhist festivals in Myanmar Public holidays in Cambodia Public holidays in Myanmar