Vesak, also known as Buddha Purnima, Buddha Jayanti, or Buddha Day, is a day of the full moon in May. It is a holiday observed by Buddhists in Singapore and many other countries to celebrate the birth, enlightenment, and death of Gautam Buddha. In Singapore, people celebrate Vesak Day on the 15th day of the fourth month of the Chinese calendar. This year, Vesak Day will be observed on 7th May 2020.Vesak Day is the time of joy, peace, and reflection when the festivities begin early in the morning. People hoist the Buddhist flag and sing hymns in praise of Lord Buddha. Buddhists visit temples and offer prayers to God along with flowers, candles, and joss sticks. The wilted flowers and burnt joss sticks remind all worshippers that life is fleeting and all things eventually pass away.
Read further to know some more interesting facts about Vesak Day in Singapore.
Vesak Day is considered the most important day in the Buddhist calendar. It celebrates three major events in the life of Lord Buddha- his birth, attainment of enlightenment, and his passing into nirvana. According to legends, each of these occurred on a full moon day in the lunar month of Vesak. That’s why Buddhists around the world celebrate it with fun and fervour.
Majority of Chinese Buddhists are Mahayana Buddhists, who practice “three-step, one –bow” ritual on Vesak Day. The devotees take steps on both knees and bow at every third step as they pray for world peace, blessings, and repentance.
The Theravada Buddhist community comprises of Singapore’s Burmese & Sri Lankan communities. They follow the ritual of cooking a pot of rice in milk on Vesak Day in memory of Buddha’s last meal that he ate before starting his long fast towards enlightenment.
People believe that if you perform good deeds on this day, it comes back to you as blessings. The Buddhists distribute food and money to less fortunate people and also make blood donations as part of the celebrations. Many Buddhists commit to living a moral and compassionate lifestyle. They consume vegetarian meals and release caged birds and other animals as a gesture of compassion.
After World War II, the Singapore Buddhist Association started a petition to make Vesak Day an official holiday. It was only made an official public holiday in Singapore in 1955.
