Happy Vesak Day: What Is Vesak and How do Buddhists Celebrate It

Happy Vesak Day everyone. Let's find out when and what Is Vesak Day, the history of Vesak Day and how Buddhists celebrate Vesak Day around the world.

Happy Vesak Day 2021 to everyone who is celebrating. This is the second year in a row we could not celebrate Wesak no thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. Wesak, also known as Vesak is the most important Buddhist festival for believers all around the world. It is celebrated on the full-moon day of the Vesakha lunar month, which usually falls in April of May. In Malaysia, Wesak Day is a public holiday as Buddhists will visit temples and stay overnight for prayers and chanting. Read to find out What is Vesak Day, its history, and how it is celebrated.

Happy Vesak Day: What Is Vesak and How do Buddhist Celebrate It

Also known as Wesak, Vesak Day marks the birth of Buddha. In other words, on Wesak Day Buddhists across the globe will celebrate Buddha's birthday. Believers will celebrate Siddhartha Gautama who is also more fondly called Buddha. Legends have it that, the moment Buddha was born he could walk on his own two feet and every step of his prompted the bloom of lotus flowers. How amazing is that right?

What Is Vesak Day?

More importantly, Vesak is the day when Buddha himself attained his enlightenment or in other words, the meaning of life. So today, Buddhists will reflect on his teachings and what it means to be a Buddhist. Interestingly, in Buddhism, we do not believe in a single God but rather the teaching of life; the teaching of Buddha to be more precise.

The History of Vesak Day

Like I have mentioned, the birth of Buddha in the 5th Century BC is a miracle itself as He was already very strong right off the bat; Being able to stand on his own two feet and could conjure lotuses everywhere he strode. Unlike other crying newborns, Siddharta Gautama smiled and greeted his mother and everyone around him the moment he was born. In fact, his birth was celebrated by other animals in his kingdom as well as they rejoiced his arrival.

Being the prince of a wealthy kingdom, his father believed that was destined to be a great king. His father did everything in his might to shield him away from the cruel, harsh world (outside his palace) where poverty, sickness, and death are common. Eventually, the young prince discovered the truth that his father had been hiding from him. Thereafter, the prince had made up his mind that he wanted to understand why people had to suffer.

So he abdicated his title, gave up his comfortable life as a royal, and headed towards the unknown outside his palace. He knew that all the luxury and wealth could not give him happiness when he saw old, ailing men had to suffer and eventually die. So Siddharta Gautama travelled as a homeless man, staying in the jungle and meditating to search for the answers that he sought.

The Enlightenment of Buddha

It is claimed that Siddharta Gautama spent 6 years meditating, studying, and searching for his answers while on his incredible journey. Through his suffering, detachment, learning, and willingness to severe what he valued the most, Siddharta Gautama discovered the true meaning of life and it is known as enlightenment. That was when he became the Buddha and had devoted the rest of his life to educating his followers. Hence, being a Buddha means you have attained enlightenment or being awakened spiritually.

When Is Vesak or Wesak Day Celebrated?

Like a lot of other festivals, Vesak Day is celebrated or observed by all Buddhists once a year. For this year (2021), Vesak Day is celebrated on the 26th of May. Do note that the date of Vesak Day is not fixed and it changes every year. This is because Vesak Day is observed on the first full moon of the Vesakha Lunar Month which usually falls in either late April, May, or early June.

How Is Vesak Day Celebrated?

Vesak Day is celebrated by all Buddhists across the world as it is after all the most important day for us. So many believers in countries across Asia such as Malaysia, Singapore, India, Thailand and South Korea just to name a few will join the Vesak Day Parade or Procession, the evening before the first full moon of Vesakha.

Usually, my family and I would take part in the Vesak Day Procession. We enjoy accompanying the beautiful floral floats with majestic Buddha statues being placed on top of it. Usually, Buddhists will be wearing white clothes when they join the Vesak Day parade which will take around 2 to 3 hours. After the procession has ended, the devotees will remain in the local temple to pray and chant throughout the night until the next morning (Vesak Day).

On Vesak Day, Buddhists will also reflect on the teaching of Buddha while providing offerings in the forms of food, rice and candies (for the kids). Some would even prepare food to be shared with other devotees as they believe in doing good deeds to accumulate merits. So on Vesak Day, a lot of people will also choose to be vegan for one day to not eat meat.

Bathing The Buddha

Besides, chanting, praying, and meditating, the highlight of Vesak Day is when each Buddhist carry out the Bathing The Buddha ceremony. Devotees will scoop blessed Holy water and pour it over the shoulder of the Buddha to reflect on the teaching of Buddha. It is very symbolic as it reminds us to wash away all the negative thoughts such as anger, hatred, greed and lust just to name a few that have been plaguing us.

So do you celebrate Vesak Day? The best way to truly understand the essence of Vesak Day is to grab a good book to immerse yourself in the teaching of Buddha. It is not just a religion, but a way of life where you learn how to coexist with everything around you harmoniously and to be grateful for whatever you have no matter how insignificant it may appear to be. Again Happy Vesak or Wesak Day to everyone who is celebrating this special day.

Our family's Wesak Day back in 2019! 😀🙏

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