The Buddha’s birthday in Korea
In Korea the Buddha’s birthday is celebrated in spring, on the eighth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar. It is a public holiday, and temples across the country hold services, offer meals and decorate their grounds. In English it is sometimes called Buddha’s Birthday, and in Korean it is commonly known as Seokga tansinil, the birth day of Shakyamuni. The festival is closely tied to lanterns, and the Korean lantern festival is one of the most visible Buddhist events in the country.
Because the date follows the lunar calendar, it falls on a different day of the Gregorian calendar each year, usually in May and sometimes in late April. Always check the current year’s date, and the schedule of any event you hope to attend, with official sources. Observances in other Buddhist countries use different calendars and customs. For example, the Vesak festival in Theravada countries is marked at the full moon, and many communities treat it as a combined commemoration of birth, awakening and death.
Why lanterns
Light is a widely used image in Buddhism. A lantern is understood as an offering that stands for wisdom dispelling darkness, and also for the wish to illuminate the path of others. The lanterns also give the festival its sense of celebration. The Buddha birth story, in which the future Buddha is born in a garden at Lumbini, is told at temples in preparation for the day, and the lotus, which in Buddhist art represents purity emerging from muddy water, is the most common lantern shape. More about this appears in the discussion of lotus symbolism in Buddhist art.
Hanji, a traditional mulberry-bark paper, is typically used for lanterns, which are lit from inside. Lanterns come in other forms as well, including animals, pagodas and figures of Buddhas and bodhisattvas.
What happens at temples
A few weeks before the birthday, temples begin to hang lanterns from lines stretched across their courtyards. In many places the lanterns carry tags with the names and wishes of donors, so that the number of lanterns increases as the day approaches. On the day itself, a ceremony is held in the main hall, which often includes the ritual bathing of a small image of the infant Buddha. Visitors ladle a little water or tea over the statue, an act that symbolises purifying one’s own mind. Meals, often vegetarian, are offered to visitors, and many people who do not visit a temple for the rest of the year come on this day.
Some temples also hold lantern-making sessions for visitors and children before the festival. These can be a gentle way to take part, and they are typically open to people of any background.
The city parade
In Seoul, the lantern parade is the best known public event. A large procession with lanterns of many sizes, floats and groups from different temples and communities moves through the central streets, usually on an evening in the days before the birthday itself. The Seoul lantern festival, known as Yeondeunghoe, was listed as a national Intangible Cultural Heritage in Korea and was later inscribed by UNESCO on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020. Associated events include exhibitions, a lantern display and activities around the main temple, Jogyesa, in the city.
Other towns have their own lantern events, and some large temples hold festivals of their own. The timetable, the route and any limits on entry change from year to year.
Visiting during the festival
The festival period is a good opportunity to see a temple in a lively mood, but it is also busy. Some points to keep in mind:
- Expect crowds, and take care with children and personal belongings. Practical advice on crowd safety awareness applies.
- Remember that the temple is a place of worship even when it is full of visitors. Dress modestly, remove shoes where asked and follow the instructions of staff and volunteers.
- Ask before photographing people at prayer, and avoid blocking others during ceremonies.
- If you are offered a meal, accept with thanks. Donations, if you wish to make them, should be made thoughtfully and through the usual channels.
Visiting during ceremonies calls for extra care, as the monastic community has duties to carry out. Parade routes, road closures, temple schedules and transport arrangements are updated each year, so rely on current official sources.