Holiday Traditions and Related Foods : Vesak Day

According to Erin Corneliussen, writer for the Smithsonian Magazine, in Thailand, Vesak Day (or Visakha Bucha) is one of the holiest religious days for Buddhists and is a holiday in many Southeast Asian countries. Vesak Day goes by different names throughout Southeast Asia and celebrates Buddha’s birth, day of enlightenment, and death. According to Buddhism, “these events all occurred on the full moon of the sixth lunar month. The date can vary based on the lunar calendars.” Typically the holiday usually falls on the full moon in May. Last year, Thailand and other countries celebrated Vesak on May 13th.

Big Buddha, Phuket, Thailand

According to Corneliussen, during Vesak Day, Buddhists often attend service at their temples. Another common practice involves pouring water over the shoulders of Buddha. This is also known as “bathing the Buddha.” This reminds participants to cleanse their thoughts of greed, ignorance and hate.

According to World Places to See, a travel site, Vesak Day also signifies removal of bad karma and the re-enactment the events that occurred when the Buddha was born.

Monks, Thailand

World Places to See also stated that the temples and statues of the Buddha are colorfully decorated, women are beautifully dressed and men wear white and saffron-robes. In the temples, you can smell the fragrance of flowers and burning incense sticks, the crowds of people dressed in their best and paying respect to the Buddha, and the scents of traditional Thai food. There is also the Candlelit Procession to the Temple. As the sun begins to set, the candles are brought out and a procession through the towns to specific Buddhist temples begins.

Candlelit Procession, Thailand

World Places to See also stated that devotees of the Buddha (which means almost everyone in Thailand), make traditional Thai food and bring it to the temple where they offer this food to the monks in the form of alms. Dhamma talks are held by monks in the temples, which discuss the teachings and way of life of the Buddha. They are quite fascinating to listen to, but only if you are in the bigger temples where the talks are held in English.

Monks and a ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand.

All Above Photos from World Places to See.

On Vesak Day, followers of the tradition do not kill (or eat vegetarian foods only) throughout the celebration since Buddha did so. Some traditional foods for Vesak Day are:

Fried Meehoon (Like Vegetarian Lo-Mein)

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