Vesak
Celebrated on the full moon in April or May, Vesak is the crown jewel of Theravāda festivals. Marking the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and passing away, temples glow with lanterns, processions and almsgiving ceremonies. In 2025, Sri Lanka’s famed Temple of the Tooth hosted a livestreamed Vesak lantern parade, letting devotees join the spectacle rain or shine.

Asalha Puja and Vassa
July’s Asalha Puja, or Dhamma Day, honors the Buddha’s first sermon in Benares. Sermons and candlelit processions set the stage for Vassa, the three-month “rains retreat” when monks hunker down in their monasteries for intensive meditation. Lay supporters pitch in with cooked meals and nightly Dhamma talks—truly a community effort.

Magha Puja
Falling on the full moon of the third lunar month (February/March), Magha Puja commemorates the spontaneous gathering of 1,250 arahants. Processions swirl around temple grounds as followers observe one day of eight precepts and engage in group chanting. Thailand’s Golden Triangle region still draws pilgrims in their thousands, a testament to its enduring allure.

Pavarana and Kathina
When Vassa ends, Pavarana offers monks a chance to welcome constructive feedback from peers. A few weeks later, Kathina ushers in the robe-offering ceremony: laypeople present new saffron robes and requisites to monks, sealing ties of generosity that keep the monastic sangha afloat.

Uposatha Observances
Every full moon, new moon and quarter moon, uposatha days invite lay Buddhists to adopt eight precepts, practice meditation and deepen their moral discipline. These mini-retreats, often hosted online these days, bring a breath of fresh air to busy urban lives.

Regional Customs
In Thailand, Songkran (mid-April) blends water-splashing New Year revelry with merit-making at temple courtyards. November’s Loy Krathong sees candlelit floats drift down rivers, symbolically releasing worries as devotees whisper silent prayers.

Across Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, these celebrations stitch centuries-old monastic traditions into the fabric of modern life—proof that insight and ritual still light up the night, one lantern at a time.