Next: 13 May 2027
Buddha's Birthday in Korea (Yeondeunghoe)
Thousands of paper lotus lanterns in pink, yellow, green and blue hung over temple yards and carried through Seoul.
The colours of Buddha's Birthday in Korea (Yeondeunghoe)
Koreans keep the Buddha's birthday on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month. For weeks before, temples hang paper lanterns so thickly over their courtyards that they make a coloured roof. The classic form is the lotus lantern, built petal by petal from pink or white paper with green leaves at the base. The lotus grows from mud and opens clean, and so stands for enlightenment. Each lantern carries a tag with a family's name and a wish. In Seoul the festival, Yeondeunghoe, includes a parade in which tens of thousands of people carry lit lanterns, with giant ones shaped as dragons, elephants and pagodas. It is on the UNESCO list of intangible heritage. Monks wear grey robes with a brown outer cloak.
#F28CB1Lotus pinkPaper lotus lanterns.#4CAF50Leaf greenThe paper leaves beneath each lotus.#F9D64ALantern yellowLanterns lit from inside.#8A8D8FRobe greyThe robes of Korean monks and nuns.Values are fair approximations, not official shades.
Read about the colours
Written by the Rang desk with AI assistance. Background: "Yeondeunghoe" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from family to family and place to place. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.