In Myanmar, A String of Festival bring joy and celebration all through the year
There are about 135 ethnics group in Myanmar, so not surprisingly, hundreds of festivals are held each year according to the different cultures and traditions.
Among them, Thingyan, the water festivals, is the most exciting and marvelous one as it is the coming of Myanmar New Year. It falls on the second week of April, and is celebrated all over Myanmar and in some foreign countries too. The Water festival continues for four days, but the children in some villages shower water on unwary travelers on the trains or cars before the festivals begin. Almost all Myanmar people takes park in the water festivals, taking with different appearances; pouring water one another, partaking in the dancing group, and wandering around town, traveling to other towns and going to monasteries, keeping Sabbath and novitiating to so on. The essence of water festivals is to sanctify the defilements they have made during the year. The venerable scene in this period is the novitiation of the boys, which according the Buddhist belief, gives great merit; that is, offering themselves to the Buddha during their stay under the way of Buddha’s teaching at the monastery.
And another famous festival is Taungpyone Nats or Sprites Festivals, which is held at Taungpyone village near Mandalay from August 8 to 14. Those who believe in Nats consider the Spirits festivals as the happy gathering of 37 Nats and give offerings to Nats during that period. And the majority of comers are those who worship Nats, and traders and merchants, who believe Nats can help their business achieved. People can get there by boats, by wagons, by motor vehicles and the private trains.
And Thidingyut festivals of Lights, the three days light festivals, is held throughout the nation at the end of October. It is not just a festival of rejoicing, but of respect: young people show their respect and gratitude to elders such as parents, teachers, grandparents, relatives and so on by going around to their houses and offering such delights as cakes and fruits. One associated custom that makes the young happy as the makes their rounds is receiving pocket money from the elders.
The Inlay Phaungdawoo Pagoda festival held in Inlay, Shan State, is a popular one among the locals and tourists too. It falls in the middle of October. The leg-rowing boat races are the fantastic view that can draw the people’s attention throughout the event. In that festivals, the four Buddha Image are put on the royal barge and tugged clockwise around the lake.
There is another interesting event held at Kyaikhtiyo Mountain in Mon State, on 01 November. The Mountain-top Pagoda is famous for a powerful boulder that, despite being unattached to the cliff on which it is located, remains stable. People usually offer 9000 oil cups of lights and 9000 flowers to Buddha on the night of the full-moon day of Thadinkyut (at October), and rice, sweets, snacks are offered to Buddha early the next morning. Most young people prefer going up to the mountain at December, around Christmas and New Year.
And another splendid festival is Tazaungdaing festivals held annually at Taunggyi in Shan State in late November. It Start from one week before the full-moon day of Tazaundmon of the year, and the competitions between hand-made paper hot-air balloons are very attractive in Myanmar. People create various appearances of the hot-air balloons according to their different ideas and then they are sent off with colorful fireworks, a ceremony that attracts many foreign tourists.
And Naga New Year Festival, on 15 January, celebrates the New Year for Naga tribes. There are four township in Naga region, the northwest corner of Myanmar, close to the India border- Layshi, Lahe , Khanti and Nanywun- and the festivals is begin held in alter native township. Naga New Year festival will be held at Hkamti Township in 2011. Foreign tourists are surprised Naga men have been preserving their customs and traditions until now. They celebrate the old customs their ancestors did, including the use of priceless robes and fantastic headdresses. During that festivals, Naga tribes attend a feast that include rice wine and roasted bison and wild boar meat and perform ritual dance and playing drums.
And Manaw festivals the New Year festivals of the Kachin race held at Myintkyina in Kachin State for eight days in January. There are several aspects to this festival. The festival includes victory celebrations, housewarming parties, funeral rites and the blessing of new farmlands for good luck. Many interesting events, Customs and traditions belong to Myanmar. If you are able to catch any of these terrific festivals, you will come away with a profound feeling of appreciation for the original customs of Myanmar. You cannot miss one, there are two or three festivals a month, twelve months a year.The major eight races Myanmar — Bamar, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Chin Mon, Rakhine & Shan are shown in eight photos below couples in their traditional colorful costumes.
Myanmar Festivals Calendar in 2010- 2011
No. |
Nomination of Festival |
Myanmar Calendar Month |
Commenced date |
Ending date |
1 |
New Rice Harvest Festival (Kyaing Tong) |
Tasaungmon- Nadaw |
5th Dec 2010 |
7th Dec 2010 |
2 |
Kachin New Year Celebration (Kyaing Tong) |
Nadaw |
25th Dec 2010 |
31st Dec 2010 |
3 |
Akha New Year Celebration (Kyaing Tong) |
Nadaw |
28th Dec 2010 |
3rd Jan 2011 |
4 |
Kachin Manor Festival |
Pyatho |
10th Jan 2011 |
12th Jan 2011 |
5 |
Naga New Year Festival (Hkamti) |
Pyatho |
12th Jan 2011 |
16th Jan 2011 |
6 |
Anandar Pagoda Festival (Bagan) |
Pyatho |
16th Jan 2011 |
22nd Jan 2011 |
7 |
Mahamuni Pagoda Festival (Mandalay) |
Tabodwe |
17th Feb 2011 |
18th Feb 2011 |
8 |
Phoe U Taung Pagoda Festival (Pyay) |
Tabodwe |
17th Feb 2011 |
19th Feb 2011 |
9 |
Full Moon Festival (All over the country) |
Tabodwe |
17th Feb 2011 |
19th Feb 2011 |
10 |
Kyaik Khauk Pagoda Festival (Syriam) |
Tabodwe |
25th Feb 2011 |
2nd Mar 2011 |
11 |
Mahamuni Pagoda Festival (Rakhine) |
Tabaung |
5th Mar 2011 |
19th Mar 2011 |
12 |
Zeedaw Nat Festival (Monywa) |
Tabaung |
5th Mar 2011 |
11th Mar 2011 |
13 |
Shwemyitsu Pagoda Festival (Inndawgyi Lake) |
Tabaung |
14th Mar 2011 |
21st Mar 2011 |
14 |
Pindaya Cave Festival |
Tabaung |
14th Mar 2011 |
21st Mar 2011 |
15 |
Shwedagon Pagoda Festival |
Tabaung |
14th Mar 2011 |
27th Mar 2011 |
16 |
Kakku Pagoda Festival (Taunggyi) |
Tabaung |
14th Mar 2011 |
27th Mar 2011 |
17 |
Taung Gwa Zedi Festival (Loikaw) |
Tabaung |
14th Mar 2011 |
27th Mar 2011 |
18 |
Bawgyo Image Festival (Thibaw) |
Tabaung |
16th Mar 2011 |
19th Mar 2011 |
19 |
Full Moon Day of Tabaung Festival (All over the country) |
Tabaung |
18th Mar 2011 |
19th Mar 2011 |
20 |
Shwesayan Pagoda Festival (Mandalay) |
Tabaung |
19th Mar 2011 |
27th Mar 2011 |
21 |
Shwemawdaw Pagoda Festival (Bago) |
Tagu |
11th Apr 2011 |
18th Apr 2011 |
22 |
Bo Min Khaung Memorial (Mt. Popa) |
Tagu |
15th Apr 2011 |
19th Apr 2011 |
23 |
Thingyan/ Myanmar New Year Festival (All over the country) |
Tagu |
13th Apr 2011 |
16th Apr 2011 |
24 |
Full Moon Day of Tagu (All over the country) |
Tagu |
17th Apr 2011 |
18th Apr2011 |
25 |
Shitthoung Pagoda Festival (Mrauk U) |
Tagu |
11th Apr 2011 |
18th Apr 2011 |
26 |
Kason Nyaung Ye Thun Festival (All over the country) |
Kason |
16th May 2011 |
17th May 2011 |
27 |
Taung Yoe Festival (Pindaya Cave) |
Kason |
16th May 2011 |
17th May 2011 |
28 |
Pa O Rocket Festival (Taunggyi) |
Kason |
16th May 2011 |
17th May 2011 |
29 |
Wat Zom Kum Rice Offering Ceremony (Kyaing Tong) |
Kason |
21st May 2011 |
22nd May 2011 |
30 |
Buddhist Recitation (Kaba Aye Pagoda) |
Nayon |
15th Jun 2011 |
16th Jun 2011 |
31 |
Mt. Popa Nat Spirit Festival |
Nayon |
15th Jun 2011 |
16th Jun 2011 |
32 |
Wicker Ball Ceremony (Mahamuni, Mandalay) |
Waso |
1st Jul 2011 |
30th Jul 2011 |
33 |
Full Moon Day of Waso Festival (All over the country) |
Waso |
14th Jul 2011 |
15th Jul 2011 |
34 |
Shwe Kyun Pin Nat Pwe (Mingun) |
Waso |
18th Jul 2011 |
20th Jul 2011 |
35 |
Taung Byone Nat Pwe (Mandalay) |
Wagaung |
8th Aug 2011 |
14th Aug 2011 |
36 |
Kyaungdawyar Pagoda Festival (Min Bu, Magwe) |
Wagaung – Tawthalin |
18th Aug 2011 |
17th Nov 2011 |
37 |
Yadana Gu Nat Festival (Amapura, Mandalay) |
Wagaung |
22nd Aug 2011 |
28th Aug 2011 |
38 |
Manuha Pagoda Festival (Bagan) |
Tawthalin |
12th Sep 2011 |
12th Sep 2011 |
39 |
Bo Bo Gyi Nat Festival (Taungthaman Inn, Mandalay) |
Tawthalin |
15th Sep 2011 |
27th Sep 2011 |
40 |
Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival (Inle Lake) |
Thadingyut |
28th Sep 2011 |
15th Oct 2011 |
41 |
Mya Tha Lun Pagoda Festival (Magwe) |
Thadingyut |
8th Oct 2011 |
12th Oct 2011 |
42 |
Thadingyut Light Festival (All over the country) |
Thadingyut |
11th Oct 2011 |
12th Oct 2011 |
43 |
Dummy Elephant Festival (Kyauk Se, Mandalay) |
Thadingyut |
11th Oct 2011 |
12th Oct 2011 |
44 |
Kyauktawgyi Pagoda Festival (Mandalay) |
Thadingyut |
11th Oct 2011 |
14th Oct 2011 |
45 |
Light & Fire Ball Festival (Kyaing Tong) |
Thadingyut |
11th Oct 2011 |
12th Oct 2011 |
46 |
Indein Pagoda Festival (Inle Lake) |
Thadingyut |
17th Oct 2011 |
20th Oct 2011 |
47 |
Phoewin Taung Ceremony (Monywa) |
Tazaungmon |
31st Oct 2011 |
5th Nov 2011 |
48 |
Shwezeegon Pagoda Festival (Bagan) |
Tazaungmon |
4th Nov 2011 |
10th Nov 2011 |
49 |
Balloons Flying Festival (Taunggyi) |
Tazaungmon |
5th Nov 2011 |
10th Nov 2011 |
50 |
Tazaungdaing Light Festival (All over the country) |
Tazaungmon |
9th Nov 2011 |
10th Nov 2011 |
51 |
Robe Waving Contest (Throughout Myanmar) |
Tazaungmon |
9th Nov 2011 |
10th Nov 2011 |
52 |
Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda Festival (Golden Rock) |
Tazaungmon |
9th Nov 2011 |
10th Nov 2011 |
53 |
Kakku Pagoda Festival (Lanterns & Lights) Taunggyi |
Tazaungmon |
9th Nov 2011 |
11th Nov 2011 |
54 |
Kaung Mudaw Festival (Sagaing) |
Tazaungmon |
9th Nov 2011 |
10th Nov 2011 |
55 |
Ann Tribe Fertility Festival (Kyaing Tong) |
Tazaungmon |
9th Nov 2011 |
10th Nov 2011 |
56 |
Mt. Popa Nat Sprit Festival |
Tazaungmon |
9th Nov 2011 |
10th Nov 2011 |
57 |
Thanbottay Pagoda Festival (Monywa) |
Tazaungmon |
10th Nov 2011 |
18th Nov 2011 |
58 |
Shan New Year Celebration (Kyaing Tong) |
Tazaungmon |
24th Nov 2011 |
24th Nov 2011 |
59 |
Taungto Pagoda Festival (Inle Lake) |
Tazaungmon |
14th Nov 2011 |
18th Nov 2011 |
60 |
New Rice Harvest Festival (Kyaing Tong) |
Tazaungmon |
24th Nov 2011 |
26th Nov 2011 |
61 |
Kachin New Year Celebration (Kyaing Tong) |
Pyatho |
25th Dec 2011 |
31st Dec 2011 |
62 |
Akha New Year Celebration (Kyaing Tong) |
Pyatho |
28th Dec 2011 |
3rd Jan 2012 |