Vesak
The Buddha's life, death and enlightenment are celebrated differently in different traditions and cultures. Vesak celebrates the birth, death, and enlightenment of the Buddha in South Asia. It occurs on the full moon of the fourth lunar month. This is called Saga Dawa Düchen by Tibetan Buddhists, who celebrate the holiday of Saga Dawa for the full lunar month. In Mahayana Buddhism, more prevalent in Central and East Asia, enlightenment is celebrated separately from birth and death. In Japan, the birth of the Buddha is marked with Hana Matsuri, or the Flower Festival. The focus of many holidays include meditation, singing, being kind of animals and doing good deeds, to remember Siddhartha Gautam (Shakyamuni Buddha) who became enlightened while sitting under the Bodhi tree. His realizations on the root of suffering and how to be free of it formed the basis of modern Buddhism, including the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.