Wesak Day is celebrated on Sunday 15 May 2022. Wesak is a Buddhist holiday on which the birth, enlightenment and nirvana of the Buddha are commemorated.
Also known as Buddha’s Birthday, Buddha’s Day or Full Moon Day, Wesak is celebrated on the first full moon day of May each year, usually on the 15th of April in the lunar calendar. Wesak is one of the most important Buddhist festivals as it commemorates the three most important events in the life of the Buddha, namely his birthday, the day of his attainment of enlightenment and the day of his nirvana.
On the day of Wesak, many Buddhists visit Buddhist temples to perform the ritual of ‘bathing the Buddha’, which is said to cleanse and purify the soul. Devotees also light lotus candles, offer flowers for blessings, give alms, pray for good luck and ask for Buddha’s blessings. After chanting, devotees eat only vegetarian food to promote the Buddha’s compassionate spirit of not killing people.
Although different countries celebrate Wesak in different ways, the day is filled with the auspiciousness of the Buddhist path all over the world. In most South and Southeast Asian countries such as Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, Wesak is celebrated as a public holiday.
In 2022, Wesak falls on Sunday, 15 May, so Monday, 16 May is celebrated as a supplementary holiday to Wesak.
