Wesak
is the Holiest
day in the Buddhist Calender.
It happens on the day of the full moon (Poya Day) in May. It celebrates the
Buddha's birth, his enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree and his passing away.
The festival is very religious and so everyone tries to follow the Buddhist
guidelines as closely as they can. An
orthodox buddhist will spend the wesak day at the temple meditating. Most
buddhists will decorate their houses with pandals, wesak lanterns and oil
lamps
as a reminder that the Buddha's teachings are a light in the darkness.
Pandals are constructed of bamboo canes, stretched cloth, painted designs,
and other media. They usually simulate magnificent palaces. Birds are also
released to remenber the Buddha's compassion and to represent his enlightenment.
Buddhists all over the world decorate monasteries with Buddhist flags, lanterns, and flowers.
