
Vesak, the International Buddhist Day
Vesak Day is celebrated on the day of the full moon in May. This date has been recognised by the United Nations as the holiest day for millions of Buddhists around the world, as it coincides with the birth of the Buddha more than 2,500 years ago in 623 BC.
It was also on this day of the full moon in May that Buddha attained enlightenment and also on the day of his death at the age of 80.
It is a tribute to the contribution of Buddhism to the spirituality of humanity.
Millions of people follow Buddha’s teachings of peace, love and compassion and celebrate his birth, enlightenment and passage into eternity. This celebration has been practised since 1950, during a conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB).
As the Buddhist calendar is lunar, no fixed day was set, but it was decided to celebrate on the full moon of May, being this year on May 16th.

How to celebrate Vesak
According to tradition it was the Buddha himself who gave instructions to celebrate this day. There is a short fable for this. On the day Buddha was about to die, he saw his faithful servant weeping. Buddha advised him not to weep but to understand the universal law that all things are impermanent, including his own body.
He advised people not to weep over the extinction of the physical body but to follow his teachings, known as the Dharma, because only these are eternal and permanent.

He also said not to pay homage to him with offerings of flowers, incense and lights but to work to follow his teachings, trying to lead a noble life and practising goodness.
Vesak Day is a bank holiday in all Asian countries where Buddhism is present, although it is celebrated all over the world.
See our Buddhist collection
Related Posts

2024: The year of the Dragon, according to China’s culture
The dragon is a mythical creature of Chinese folklore and one of the twelve animals…
Continue Reading
Zuni and Navajo: fetish animals in Southwestern culture
Zuni and Navajo fetishes are small carvings made from primarily stone but also shell, fossils, and…
Continue Reading
The Pasthuns: the story of a people and their tribes
The Pashtuns, historically known as Afghans, are an Iranian ethnic group originating in Central and South…
Continue Reading
Kantha: India’s most valuable textile technique
Kantha (also spelled kanta, and qanta) is a type of embroidery craft in the eastern regions…
Continue Reading
“Trade Beads”, the token money of European Colonialists
Trade Beads, sometimes called "slave beads" are decorative glass beads used by European colonialists between the…
Continue Reading
Shaligrama, the precious black stone of Vishnu
Shaligrama, the precious black stone of Vishnu Shalagrama shila also known as Shaligram refers to a particular variety…
Continue Reading
Hand made tradition: how and where do the Wayuu bags come from
Located deep in the La Guajira desert, close to the Colombian and Venezuelan border, is a…
Continue Reading
Yule: The Viking Predecessor Of The Contemporary Christmas Holidays
Christmas is one of the most important Christian holidays, being observed most commonly on the December…
Continue Reading
Samhain, the origins of Halloween
Halloween, also known as Hallowe'en or Allhalloween and All Hallows'Eve is a pagan holiday, of ancient…
Continue Reading
The Celts
A brief history of the Celts You say Celts and immediately think of Ireland and Great…
Continue Reading