In a nutshell, Vesak is a time for Buddhists to express their faith, practice compassion, and celebrate the life and teachings of the Buddha through a variety of traditions and activities.
Let’s have a look at how and where Vesak is celebrated:
- Temple Decorations and Offerings: Temples are adorned with colorful lights, flowers, and banners. Offerings of food, flowers, and incense are made to Buddha statues.
- Prayers and Meditations: Devotees attend temple services, engage in chanting, and meditate to reflect on the Buddha’s teachings.
- Processions: Processions are lead by monks and nuns through the streets, accompanied by devotees carrying lanterns and making offerings.
- Recitation of Sutras: Religious texts are read aloud, and discourses on dharma (the Buddha’s teachings) are given.
Serving the Society:
- Offerings to the Poor: Vesak is a time for Buddhists to show compassion and generosity by giving to those in need, such as the poor, the sick, and the disabled.
- Volunteering: Many devotees volunteer their time and skills to charitable organizations and social service programs.
Celebrations by Countries: The United Nations recognized Vesak as an international holiday in 1999. Vesak is celebrated at the UN Headquarters and other UN offices.Some of the most prominent Buddhist-majority countries celebrating Vesak include Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Laos, and Mongolia. It is also widely celebrated in Japan, Vietnam, China, and South Korea, among others. Visakha Bucha, also known internationally as Vesak, is one of the holiest days in Buddhism. It marks three major events in the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the Lord Buddha: his birth, enlightenment, and death. According to Buddhist scripture, these three events are said to have occurred on the same day of different years.
- Sri Lanka: Vesak Poya is a religious and cultural festival in Sri Lanka. People decorate their homes and temples with lanterns, and some temples offer bibimbap and tea to visitors. Many religious activities are organized during this period in Sri Lanka such as Sil campaigns, Bodhi Poojas, Dansalas (Freely giving foods, coffee, tea from people), Vesak devotional songs (Bakthi Gee), pandols (thoran) and lanterns. Temples get filled with devotees and pilgrims all over the country to mark this great event. In temples devotees worship, offer flowers, light lamps and burn incense. These traditional observances, in essence, have their value in satisfying the religious and emotional needs of the people. Buddhists generally wear a white dress and go to the temple and participate in the traditional ceremonies. Many of them spend the whole day in the temple and reaffirm their determination to follow the teachings of Buddha. On this holy day the ‘Dana’ (alms giving) plays an important role. This is a sign of sharing joy and peace with people. During the Vesak Festival week, the selling of alcohol and flesh is usually prohibited, with abattoirs also being closed. Other than the exclusive religious aspects of the festival, the Buddhists of Sri Lanka, decorate their houses and public places and arrange for various cultural events.
- Thailand: Like many religious holidays in Thailand, Visakha Bucha Day is observed according to the traditional lunar calendar, and therefore changes each year. This year, it falls on May 11th, 2025, which coincides with the full moon of the sixth lunar month. Vesak is a public holiday in Thailand, and temples host large festivals with processions, chanting, and food offerings. Visakha Bucha is a time for making merit and adherence to religious precepts. In the mornings, many families visit temples together to give alms to Buddhist monks. During the day, there may also be Dharma sermons given at temples nationwide and broadcast on radio or television. In the evening, people join a circumambulation procession (Wian Tian). This involves walking clockwise around a temple’s ordination hall (Phra Ubosot) three times, carrying lit candles, joss sticks, and flowers. The three rounds symbolize the Three Jewels of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Dharma (his teachings), and the Sangha (the monastic order). Alcohol sales are prohibited on this day, according to one of the five Buddhist precepts to abstain from alcohol.
- Nepal: Born into royalty in 623 B.C. in what is modern-day Nepal, Siddhartha Gautama (Lord Buddha) is believed to have abandoned his life of luxury to seek wisdom about the existential nature of suffering. He then attained enlightenment while meditating under a Bodhi tree, founding the religion of Buddhism. In Nepal, people flock to Lumbini, the Buddha’s birthplace, to donate supplies to disadvantaged communities.
- Cambodia: Vesak Bochea Day, also known as Buddha Day, is one of the most important festivals of Cambodia. Celebrating Vesak Bochea means making an effort to bring happiness to the unfortunate, including the aged and the handicapped by donating food, money or gifts. For Cambodian Buddhists, Vesak Bochea day is traditionally spent at the pagodas meditating, chanting and listening to monks reciting Buddha’s verses and teachings. Many may also bring supplies such as food, candles, and flowers to offer monks at the temple. You will also get to see monk processions followed by people of all ages holding candles, incense sticks, and lotus flowers in hands. The procession symbolizes an offer of their blessings to Lord Buddha. Hundreds of monks from pagodas over the country are also invited to the food-offering ceremony since it is believed as a way for people to gain merit for their present life as well as the next life. Since Buddhism is a state religion, the religious day of Vesak Bochea is always presided by high-ranking officials in the royal government with hundreds of devout Buddhists.
- India: Vesak is celebrated in India as Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti and is a festival that marks Gautama Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death. It falls on the day of the Full Moon Day and it is a gazetted holiday in India. Lord Buddha passed away under two Sal trees in what is modern-day Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh in India. This event is known as Mahaparinirvana—Buddha’s release from the cycle of death and rebirth. Many devotees visit temples on Vesak to listen to monks give talks and recite ancient verses. Devout Buddhists may spend all day in one or more temples. Some temples display a small statue of Buddha as a baby. The statue is placed in a basin filled with water and decorated with flowers. Visitors to the temple pour water over the statue. This symbolizes a pure and new beginning. Many Buddhists pay special attention to Buddha’s teachings during Vesak. They may wear white robes and only eat vegetarian food on and around Vesak. Many people also give money, food or goods to organizations that help the poor, the elderly and those who are sick. Caged animals are bought and set free to display care for all living creatures, as preached by Buddha.
- Vietnam: Vesak, known as Phật Đản in Vietnamese, marks Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death. On this day, Buddhists throughout Vietnam give alms, volunteer, and decorate temples or otherwise recreate scenes from the Buddha’s life. Vegetarian meals, simple parades and lantern ceremonies by the river are also popular. For the visitor, Phật Đản is a great time to observe and experience Vietnamese religious culture. On this day, devotees can be seen practicing vegetarianism, almsgiving, and charity work, giving gifts and money to weak people in the community. Parades, ceremonies, lectures on Buddhism and cultural performances are also organized. Devotees also release lanterns on the river.
Vesak at UN
The UN General Assembly, by its resolution 54/115 of 1999, recognized the Day of Vesak internationally to acknowledge the contribution that Buddhism to the spirituality of humanity. This day is commemorated annually at the UN Headquarters and other UN offices. The teachings of the Buddha, and his message of compassion and peace and goodwill have moved millions. Millions around the world follow the teachings of the Buddha and on the Day of Vesak commemorate the birth, the attainment of enlightenment and the passing away of the Buddha. This year, the Vietnam Buddhist Academy in Ho Chi Minh City marked the second day of the United Nations Vesak 2025 celebrations with a profound display of spiritual unity and global cooperation. Leaders from 85 countries gathered to reflect on this year’s theme: “Solidarity and Tolerance for Human Dignity: Buddhist Wisdom for World Peace and Sustainable Development. Shri Ramdas Athawale, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment of India, emphasized the transformative potential of Buddhist principles in promoting justice, equality, and compassion in modern societies. Speakers from across continents underscored the relevance of Buddhist wisdom in addressing pressing global challenges. Messages ranged from the role of Buddhist education in modern times, to environmental advocacy, mental health, and the importance of nurturing the younger generation to carry forward the light of the Dharma.
The Buddha’s teachings of compassion, tolerance and selfless service resonate deeply with the values of the United Nations. In an era of profound global challenges, these timeless principles must guide our shared path forward
Mr. António Guterres, UN Secretary-General
Shri Ramdas Athawale, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment of India, emphasized the transformative potential of Buddhist principles in promoting justice, equality, and compassion in modern societies. His remarks resonated with many attendees, who believe that these principles can guide societies toward greater harmony. He highlighted importance of Buddhist wisdom in tackling urgent global issues. A devout Buddhist, he successfully completed a tour of Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand on the occasion of Buddha Poornima
On the afternoon of May 1, 2025, at the National Museum of India (New Delhi), H.E. Ambassador Nguyen Thanh Hai, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to India, attended and delivered remarks at the ceremony held by the delegation of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha to respectfully receive the relics of Lord Shakyamuni Buddha. This event marked the commencement of a series of international activities within the framework of the United Nations Day of Vesak 2025, which will be held in Vietnam from May 6–8, 2025. Ambassador Nguyen Thanh Hai highlighted the profound significance of this being the first time the relics of Lord Shakyamuni Buddha are being brought to Vietnam, allowing millions of Vietnamese Buddhists, as well as regional and global followers, to pay homage. The Ambassador expressed sincere and heartfelt gratitude to the Government of India, the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Culture of India, and the International Buddhist Confederation for facilitating the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in respectfully bringing the sacred relics to Vietnam. He emphasized that this historic moment marks a new milestone in the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, further strengthening cultural ties that have existed for more than 2,000 years
