On the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, Buddhists around the world celebrate Buddha's Birthday. It is believed that it was on this day that a respected prince was born, who later left his native home, achieved enlightenment and became the founder of Buddhism.
Buddha’s birthday or, as it is also called, Wesak, symbolizes the birth, enlightenment and death of the patron of religious teaching. In every country, this holy holiday is held with its own distinctive features, but there are also the main features of its celebration.
On this day, festive services are held in churches, charity dinners are held, and tea is a must. Buddhists from all over the world gather there to pray for the health of their near and dear ones, to ask Buddha for luck in life and prosperity. They meditate, give alms to all those in need and arrange colorful processions along the main streets of the city.
Around the temples and monasteries, festive processions in honor of Buddha, drachma and sanga - the main treasures of Buddhism, are moving on the holiday. And on the squares theatrical performances are organized, the plots of which are the moments of the mythological biography of the founder of the religious movement.
Buddhists wash Buddha statues, accompanying this action with beautiful national music performed by the local orchestra. Very often the statues are washed with water flowing out of the mouth of the dragon’s head. This symbolizes the obligatory purification of the soul from various negative emotions by following the teachings of the Buddha.
A special place in the celebration of the Teachers' birthday is held by lanterns symbolizing the enlightenment that descended on Buddha. On this day, they can be found on the streets of the city a great many. In preparation for the holiday, residents hang out colored lanterns of various shapes and sizes along the streets. And on the Buddha’s birthday, they carry it in their hands during the festive processions and launch them into the sky at dusk. Lanterns are made of paper, fabric and other materials, and depending on the image shown on the lantern, they can mean health, a rich harvest, happiness or longevity.
Also, the streets of the city are decorated with fresh flowers, bright ribbons and other colorful attributes. And the Buddhists themselves walk only with a smile on their faces, because the Buddha, by giving, was an open and cheerful person.
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