Vesak 2026

Vesak (Buddha Day) commemorates the birth, enlightenment and passing of the Buddha, observed on the full moon of the ancient month of Vesakha — the most sacred day of the Buddhist calendar. The date is not the same everywhere: Buddhist traditions follow different lunar calendars, and in years with an intercalary month they can diverge by nearly a month. The countdown on this page follows Sri Lanka's Vesak Full Moon Poya Day, the Theravada reckoning behind the name adopted at the 1950 World Fellowship of Buddhists conference in Colombo and behind the United Nations' Day of Vesak. Thailand and Vietnam normally observe within a day of it; India's Buddha Purnima follows the Hindu Vaisakha full moon and in 2026 fell on 1 May — twenty-nine days before Sri Lanka's 30 May.

For the full story — history, meaning, traditions, foods and FAQs — see the Vesak guide.