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Festivals | "Vesak Day" Other Festivals
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”).