Idealtravelasia introduces travelers most important festivals in Myanmar. As a Buddhism country, most great festivals in Myanmar concern with this gentle religion, but still have the own spiritual origins which had existed before Buddhism was introduced in this country. By joining in these mysterious festivals, your adventure to Myanmar will be greater and you can understand the spiritual life of this nation.
Full Moon of Tabaung (23 March 2016)
This is the traditional merit-making day for Buddhists. As an important Buddhism festival, it is celebrated on the full-moon day of Tabaung, the twelfth month in Burmese calendar. The spiritual purposes of this day comprise: not to involve any kind of sins, do only good deeds, purify one’s mind.
On this occasion, Buddhists go to pagoda and carried out merit-making activities. The meaning of this festival is to show veneration to Buddha and his teaching.
- This is a special day - pray for those who passed away
According to the legend, Full Moon of Tabaung marks the 4 fabulous events happening at the Veḷuvana bamboo grove, near Rājagaha in northern India ten months after the enlightenment of the Buddha. As recorded, four auspicious facts are:
* 1,250 disciples came to see the Buddha on this evening without being summoned.
* All of them were Arhantas or Enlightened Ones. They were ordained by the Buddha himself.
* The Buddha gave Arhantas the principles of Buddhism, which are: to cease from all evils; to do what is good; to cleanse one’s mind.
* It was a full-moon day.
The Myanmar’s greatest pagoda festival, namely the Yangon’s Shwedagon Pagoda festival is taken place on this time. It begins with the nakyake shitsu ceremony that supply offerings for 28 Buddhas, followed by a 10-day nonstop recounting by the Pathana (Buddhist scriptures) about 24 causes of worldly phenomena.
Other pagoda festivals are held on this day, including the Shwe Settaw Pagoda Festival in Minbu Township and the Alaungdaw Kathapa Pagoda Festival in Sagaing Region.
Thingyan New Year Festival (13-16 April 2016)
Organized from 13rd to 16th April coinciding with Easter, this isthe Water Festival to welcome New Year in Myanmar. Water symbolizes for purity that can clear away all sins, diseases and bad lucks. So people splash water to each other to begin a new year with a cleansed soul.
In Myanmar, the festival is commonly known as Thingyan, which means “change”. It lasts over 4 days: Akyo-nei (Thingyan Eve), A-kya nei, A-kyat nei and A-tet nei (the final). The fifth day is Hnit hsan ta yet nei (New Year’s Day).
- In this day, you will be free to flush water to each other with the meaning of clean and change
On Thingyan occasion, Thaya Min God from the heaven come down to the earth on his annual visit. At the exact time of Thaya Min God’s arrival, booming of cannon sounds. After that, traditional rites are carried out to welcome the God.
Good humor prevails during the festival time. People with buckets, pots and cans of water splash to anybody passing over. Powerful water pipes are everywhere to douse people. Decorated cars or carts are driven around to throw water to everybody and get wet in return. Children use water pistols to drench their friends and relatives. In big cities like Yangon, hoses and hydrants in gardens, water balloons and even fire hoses are also used for the festival.
No passer-by will escape from drenching, no matter whether they are Buddhist or non-Buddhist, Burmese or non-Burmese, except monks, elders, sick ones and of course pregnant women.
Soaked to skin, even with water in nostrils, ears and eyes then being laughed, as the spirit of Thingyan, is called as cheer and friendship.
All corners of the country become absolutely jubilant and vibrant. Burmese damsels apply thanaka on face, pin sweet scented yellow padauk flowers on hair and dance on street. Padauk flower just blows only one time every year on Thingyan occasion, so it is so-called as Thingyan flowers.
On the final day, some people still sprinkle water onto others and say an apology, something like “Thagya Min God left his water tube and he will come back to get it.”
On New Year’s Day, young people wash hair for their adults by beans and barks of acacia rugata tree. Young girls join in the manicure and hair washing ceremony for the most senior citizens in their community. The old ladies are supplied paste of sandalwood or thanakha. Fish and even bigger animals are released back to lakes and rivers with the wish: “I release you once, you release me ten times.”
Kason Watering Festival – Buddha Day (9 May 2016)
As the most important day in Buddhist world, this day is taken place in the time that all ponds, lakes and creeks decrease to its lowest level. Kason, the fifth month of Burmese calendar, is deemed as the hottest month in the hot season.
- To show respect to Gotama Buddha, people pour water on the foot of Maha-Bodhi tree to make sure it does not die of drought during hot summer
Kason full-moon day signify 4 most significant days in Gotama Buddha life time:
1. The day he had been prophesied to become the next Buddha. Dipankara Budha predicted that the hermit Sumedha would become Gotama Buddha, the latest one in this Buddha world.
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