Buddha's Birthday

Buddha’s Birthday in South Korea, officially called Bucheonnim Osin Nal (부처님 오신 날, “the day the Buddha came”), commemorates the birth of Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha. In 2026, the festival falls on Sunday, May 24, corresponding to the eighth day of the fourth month in the traditional Korean lunar calendar; Monday, May 25, is observed as the substitute public holiday. The date is determined by the lunar calendar, so its Gregorian date changes each year.

Buddhism reached the Korean Peninsula through China in the fourth century, during the Three Kingdoms period, and became a major influence on Korean philosophy, art, literature, architecture, and government. It flourished particularly during the Goryeo dynasty, when temples and Buddhist rituals were closely connected with state life, while the Joseon dynasty later promoted Confucianism and restricted institutional Buddhism. Buddhism experienced renewed public visibility in the modern era, and Buddha’s Birthday became a national public holiday in 1975. In 2018, its official Korean name was changed from Seokga Tansini-l (석가탄신일, “the Buddha’s birthday”) to Bucheonnim Osin Nal, reflecting a more respectful and contemporary Korean expression.

The most recognizable Korean tradition is the display of colorful lotus lanterns, known as yeondeung (연등), which symbolize wisdom, compassion, and the illumination of ignorance. In the weeks before the holiday, temples, streets, bridges, and city centers are decorated with lanterns, and large lantern festivals are held in places such as Seoul. The annual Lotus Lantern Festival, or Yeondeungnori, features lantern exhibitions, parades, cultural performances, traditional crafts, and Buddhist music. Visitors of any faith are generally welcome to participate.

On Buddha’s Birthday, worshippers visit temples to offer incense, flowers, fruit, and rice, listen to sermons, meditate, and take part in ceremonial services. A common ritual is gwane bul, or bathing the Buddha, in which participants pour fragrant water over a small statue of the infant Buddha, recalling the traditional account of his birth. Temples often provide vegetarian temple food, including dishes made from seasonal vegetables, mushrooms, tofu, and mountain greens, and may offer free communal meals. People commonly exchange respectful greetings such as “Bucheonnim Osin Nal chukahaeyo” (부처님 오신 날 축하해요, “Happy Buddha’s Birthday”) or “Seongbul haseyo” (성불하세요, a Buddhist blessing meaning “May you attain enlightenment”).