Vesak 2019 Greetings: 2019 will see Vesak celebration on 18 May. Vesak, also known as Buddha Purnima Buddha Jayanti, and Buddha Day, is a day dedicated to the birth of Lord Buddha. The history of celebrating Buddha Jayanti or Vesak dates back to 1950 when Vesak as Buddha's birthday was made into a formal event to be celebrated each year after the first conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists.