Vesak Day
Vesak Day is a major event on the Buddhist calendar. It is a public holiday in Singapore which celebrates the birth, enlightenment and nirvana of Buddha. In Singapore this day is celebrated every year with the faithful visiting their nearest temple, preparing their offerings and then engaging in a number of rituals.
Each year, monks lead the way by chanting the sutras and the local people flock to the temples to make offerings to Buddha. During this religious holiday, local people will engage in a ritual known as Dana, which is an opportunity to show generosity. The Dana celebration involves releasing caged animals and birds. The day is also marked by visiting the poor and young people will often go to hospitals where they will donate blood. On Vesak Day, there are also candlelight processions through the city and visitors will be able to view these processions at Phor Kark See Temple on Bright Hill Road. As the devotees walk in procession, they will pray for peace and ask for personal blessings and repentance.
Some of the most interesting locations to visit during this day include Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery which is Singapore’s largest temple which offers tours of the museum; the Vesak Carnival which is run by the Buddhist Fellowship and has food stalls, games, music and blessings; and the Amitabha Buddhist Centre hosts an event beside Aljunied MRT Station. Alternatively, visitors can go from temple to temple to view the many varied celebrations hosted on this day as there will be activities running from dawn till dusk, and well into the night. Vesak Day is a public holiday in Singapore, so many government buildings and banks will close, but most restaurants and malls will remain open.
Vesak Day
Vesak Day (Wesak Day) is an annual religious festival celebrated by the major Buddhist denominations in Singapore. While it is often referred to as “Buddha’s Birthday”, its actual significance is to mark the birth, enlightenment, and passing of Gautama Buddha, and is considered one of the most significant occasions in Buddhism. Vesak Day is usually celebrated on the first full-moon day of the Vaisakha month in the lunar calendar and typically lasts for a full day. This translates to April or May in the Gregorian calendar.
Vesak Day is celebrated in countries such as Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar where there are sizable Buddhist communities. Most Buddhist temples and monasteries in Singapore celebrate this festival, though the scale of the celebrations may vary. Theravada Buddhists in Singapore may visit temples such as the Sri Lankaramaya Buddhist Temple in St Michael’s Road and Wat Ananda Metyarama temple in Jalan Bukit Merah, and members of the Mahayana tradition may congregate in temples such as the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery in Bright Hill Road.
The festival is celebrated by the major Buddhist groups in Singapore, including Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana. The various temples and monasteries organise their own events and celebrations, with help from volunteers and professional suppliers and coordinators. Temples may often form a separate committee of volunteers to manage the Vesak Day celebrations. For example, in the Wat Ananda Metyarama temple, the committee includes Thai volunteers, volunteers from the temple’s youth division, and those from the community service groups of institutes of higher learning. Small temples may work with the Singapore Buddhist Federation (SBF) or with their larger counterparts to hold joint celebrations.
