Vesak May 7, celebrates Buddha’s birth, along with his enlightenment and death in some traditions. The holiday has been officially celebrated since 1950, when the World Fellowship of Buddhists formalized it as Buddha’s birthday.
Buddhism is practiced by around 500 million people across the globe, in dozens of countries. Vesak is a holiday common to all Buddhists, but is celebrated differently according to local customs. Because Vesak is based on the Asian lunisolar calendar, the day usually falls on the full moon in the Gregorian month of May, but this varies widely according to each country’s traditions.
