Vesak Day 2025 Celebration in Singapore

How We Celebrate

Vesak Day commemorates the birth, enlightenment and nirvana of Gautama Buddha. The day begins with an early morning ceremony at temples, where the Buddhist flag is raised and hymns are sung. Devotees offer flowers, candles, and joss sticks, symbolizing life's impermanence.

The day is dedicated to good deeds as devotees believe that performing good deeds on Vesak Day will multiply merit many times over. Caged birds and animals are released, symbolizing liberation. Candlelight processions with illuminated Buddha statues take place, including the profound 'three-step, one-bow' ritual at Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery. This day offers a glimpse into the spiritual and compassionate essence of Buddhism.

Where to Go

Explore the serene temples and take a peek into the cultural rituals at various locations throughout the city.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Situated in Chinatown, this place is worth a gander because it houses the Sacred Buddha Tooth Relic in a hefty 3.5-tonne stupa, containing 320 kilogrammes of gold donated by devotees.

Lian Shan Shuang Lin Temple

Seated on 50 acres of land in Toa Payoh, this temple is more than a century old with most of its glory intact thanks to 11 years of painstaking restoration work.

Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple

If you are headed to Little India, visit this Temple of 1000 Lights at night, when the central Buddha statue is illuminated by the wattage of hundreds of light bulbs all around it.

Good Deeds

Click through and explore some of the good deeds that Buddhists take part in during Vesak Day. Devotees hold the belief that carrying out good deeds on this day will multiply one's merit a number of times over.

Blood Donations

Buddhists organise mass blood donations at hospitals, visit elderly homes or distribute gifts of cash to the needy.

Vegetarian Meals

Many Buddhists go vegetarian as an important way to commemorate the occasion.

Flower, Candle and Joss Sticks

The burning of candles and joss sticks and withering of flowers are to remind worshippers that life is fleeting and transient and that all things decay and eventually pass away.

Marina Bay Waterfront

About Singapore

Need the low-down on Singapore's colourful past and vibrant present? The About Singapore page is a grab bag of fun facts, local lingo and the best places to visit.

Find out more

Vesak Day