Buddha's Birthday (/Seokgatansinil) is celebrated in some East Asian countries on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month. In the Republic of Korea, this holiday became an official day off in 1975.
On this day, Koreans visit Buddhist temples to pray for health and good luck in life. Many cities host festive processions with colorful lotus-shaped lanterns.
Buddhist temples are also decorated with such lanterns, allowing you to admire the colorful painting for a whole month. Lanterns are hung along the streets, covering almost all free space.
On the Buddha's birthday, charity dinners and tea treats are held in many temples, to which all interested visitors are invited.
Buddha's birthday is also officially celebrated in Macau and Hong Kong. But in Japan, which switched to the Gregorian calendar in 1873, Buddha’s birthday is celebrated on April 8, is not an official holiday and is better known as the Flower Festival.