• Vesak Day is an important festival and a day of universal celebration for Buddhists all over the world.
• “Vesak” is said to be derived from the Pali word Vesakha, the name of the lunar month that typically falls between April and June in the Gregorian calendar. Vesak Day falls on the first full moon of this lunar month (usually around May).
• In 1955, the Singapore Government declared Vesak Day a public holiday.

Dr Mohamad Maliki bin Osman, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Defence & Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mayor, South East District, attended the event yesterday with his wife and children. He said, “Ramadan and Vesak Day fall on the same day this year. I am glad to see youths of different races and religions celebrating Vesak Day while deepening their understanding of Ramadan.” (Lianhe Zaobao, 30/5/2018)

佛陀诞辰纪念日 (Taiwan), 佛诞节 (Hong Kong)

• Rituals observed on Vesak Day include “Bathing the Buddha” and “Three Steps, One Bow”. In the former, devotees scoop clean water from a basin and sprinkle it over a statue of Buddha. This represents the washing away of bad habits such as greed, pride, complacency, anger, jealousy and selfishness. In the latter, devotees prostrate themselves before Buddha with every three steps they take, symbolising their repentance as well as their highest reverence of Buddha.