The festival comes with many names; Buddha Purnima, Buddha Jayanti, Vesak or, for others, simply the Buddha's birthday. Whatever the moniker, it's the most important day in the Buddhist calendar and a time for celebration and prayer.

The exact date changes every year with the Asian lunisolar calendar and is a public holiday in many Asian countries. It is celebrated all over the world though wherever there are practicing Buddhists.

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cThe crowd watches as people perform during "The Minutes" at the Montreal Cirque Festival on July 14, 2019 in Montreal, Quebec, where  thirty-two acrobats took over the street for a travelling performance. (Photo by Sebastien St-Jean / AFP)        (Photo credit should read SEBASTIEN ST-JEAN/AFP via Getty Images)
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