Vesak Day is a festival celebrated with great ceremonial
ritual by Buddhists. It commemorates the birth and
enlightenment of Buddha and his entrance into Nirvana.
There is a sense of reverence and gratitude during this
festival. Buddhists revere the Buddha for his
enlightenment. Buddhist organizations and temples observe
acts of generosity known as ‘dana’. These include the
freeing of caged birds and animals, visiting and giving
alms to the poor and needy. Some younger generations’
devotees organizes mass blood donation at hospitals.
The celebration takes place on the full moon day of the
fifth lunar month and concludes with a candlelit
procession through the streets.
Origins
An Indian prince named Siddartha Gautama
was born,
attained enlightenment to become the Buddha and
passed into the final Nirvana to attain eternal
happiness, on a full moon day.
Vesak day commemorates these three important events in the
life of a Buddha (N.B Buddhists do not say “the Buddha
died” but that “the Buddha passed into the final
Nirvana”).
