PENANG Wesak Celebration 2026 will feature 23 floats under the theme “Bridging through digital, cultivating wisdom together”, with the main procession set for 31 May.
Organising committee chairman Datuk Dr Loh Hock Hun said the annual month-long celebration would include various events, activities and charitable causes leading up to the main day.
“The main event is the Wesak Day procession, but there are also ongoing and upcoming events,” he said.
“There is the Wesak eve ceremony, Wesak night dinner, handing out of gifts and red packets to charitable organisations, dhamma talks and dana to sangha (alms to monks).”
Loh said floats from various Buddhist temples and organisations would take part in the procession.
“Our 4.5m-high float from Malaysian Buddhist Association will be decorated with thousands of flowers and LED lights,” he said.
“Every year, we use fresh flowers to decorate the float and this year, there will be a professional team doing it.”
On Wesak eve (30 May), a prayer ritual by monks and a lighting up ceremony will be held, followed by the lighting of lotus candles by major donors and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Certificates will also be presented to participating floats.
This year, the Wesak eve and Wesak Day celebrations will be held at Penang Lee Sih Chong Soo (Lee Kongsi) on Jalan Burma instead of the association’s usual venue, as its three-storey headquarters had been demolished to meet future needs.
“Until the new 15-storey building is completed, we will have to hold the yearly Wesak eve ceremony and Wesak Day procession at Penang Lee Sih Chong Soo,” Loh added.
Members of the public can donate flowers to decorate the main float at Penang Lee Sih Chong Soo on 28 May (1pm to 9pm), 29 May (9am to 9pm) and 30 May (9am to 6pm).
The Wesak Day procession will begin at 6pm on 31 May from Penang Lee Sih Chong Soo, following a 7km route through Jalan Kelawai, Lorong Burma, Lebuhraya Peel, Jalan Macalister, Jalan Perak, Jalan Anson and Lorong Madras before returning to the starting point.
Source: The Star
