Celebrating Wesak 2024
Wesak, also known as Vesak or Buddha Day, will be celebrated on Thursday 23rd May 2024. Wesak is the most important of the Buddhist festivals and is celebrated on the full moon in May. Scroll or swipe down to find out more about Wesak.
Preparing for Wesak
People celebrate Wesak because it was on the day of Wesak that Buddha finally understood life's meaning, this is called enlightenment.听
Shelin prepares for Wesak with her family and she makes a special 'Happy Wesak' card as a surprise for her Mum before helping to make a lantern at the Buddhist temple. In the temple there's a wonderful shrine with a statue of Buddha where people leave flowers and candles for Buddha.听
Shelin and her friends at the temple take time to meditate with the guidance of the monk. Meditation is a time where we still quietly and relax your mind.听
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Celebrating Wesak
It is the morning of the Wesak and Shelin is up early and helping to make vegetarian food for the Wesak celebrations.
The celebrations begin with a wonderful parade, then people leave offerings to the Buddhist statue. Shelin and her friends make animal masks to show love and kindness to everything. You can make an animal mask too with Rebecca from the CBeebies House.听
The children practice their walking meditation with the monk before the celebrations finish with a Buddhist chant.听
Wesak Story
It is believed that Buddha himself told the story of the elephant and the dog many years ago. Watch this beautiful sand sculpture come to life and listen to the traditional Buddhist story of the King's elephant and the dog.
Make your own animal mask
My First Festivals: Vesak
Art and Enda celebrate Vesak for the first time. Discover more about Vesak with My First Festivals听then take the quiz to see听how much you know about Vesak.