Myanmar FestivalsMyanmar Monthly Traditional Festivals for -2011Ananda Pagoda Festival (Full moon day of Pyartho)
Naga New Year Festival (14th Waning day of Pyatho)
Kyaik Khaut Pagoda Festival (1st Waxing day of Tabodwe)There are, in Myanmar, many pagoda festivals concerned with
the remembrance of Buddha; Kyaik Khaut Pagoda festival, one of
them, within Than Lyin Township, is also famous around Yangon.
Every year on the 17th of January - Ta Poe Twe La in Burmese
Traditional Calendar - the festival is rejoiced. The pagoda is
situated on a hill, and along the way, on that hill, to the
pagoda, we can see many shops, including Burmese Traditional
operas, and shops where Burmese snacks are sold, are crowded and
noisy. In addition, among a very large crowd, Burmese customs
and traditions, way of clothing, girls wearing tha-nat-kha - all
of them can be visible under the light of night - illuminate the
property of the country. One interested in Myanmar history could
observe the history of Nat Shin Naung, whom we can say king of
Poet Laureate in Myanmar at his time. Anyway, with many
interesting things and enjoyable experiences, Kyaik Khaut Pagoda
Festival, for guests, can offer pleasant emotion and feeling
that cannot be forgotten.
Shwe Set Taw Pagoda Festival (5th Waxing day of Tabodwe)
Paya Gyi - Maha Myat Muni pagoda Festival (14 Waxing Days of Tabodwe)
Kayin Bonfire Ceremony (Full moon day of Tabodwe)The Kayin people, one of the ethnic groups of Myanmar, held the festival as their tradition on the fullmoon day of Ta-po-twe, but in some other places the time of the festival is varied. Among them, the campfire festival in Kyone-Doe and Phar-Pon, both are in Kayin State, is distinct. The way of celebrating is interesting: in the evening the trees for the festival are burnt and in that light the participants sing and dance around the heap of burning branches while eating food and snacks. The weather that creates pleasant cool nights also attracts guests including foreigners through the enjoyable feeling.
Shwedagone Pagoda Festival (8th Waning day of Tabodwe)
Lashio Shan-Khite Festival (February and March)In Shan State, it is a famous one performed by Hindu people,
usually rejoiced in February and March. Though it is Hindu
traditional festival which is well-known and well-attended by
Hindu people, even foreign visitors are interested in it when
they are informed about the festival.
Maw Tin Zun Pagoda Festival (1st Waxing day of Tabaung)The festival is usually held at Maw Tin Zun Pagoda in Pathein
on February. The pagoda was put up at the shore line of the sea,
and our mind can be refreshed inhaling the fresh air of the sea
while going to the pagoda by boat. At the time of the festival,
the pagoda is very inspiring of the very bright candle light and
pushing among the crowd toward the pagoda along the shoreline
and seeing the shops selling Burmese traditional umbrellas, we
call them Pathein Hti in Burmese, experiences a person difficult
to forget the savor.
Ko Gyi Kyaw Nat Fastival (3rd Waxing day of Tabaung)
Chin New Year Festival (6th Waxing day of Tabaung)
Inn Daw Kyi Festival (8th Waxing day of Tabaung)Held at Inn Daw Kyi Lake near Moe-Hnyin in Kachin State, the
date of the festival is 23th February, in Tabaung La of Myanmar
traditional calendar. Viewing the biggest lake in Myanmar and
its rich natural resources, we can take part in the pagoda
festival with full content.
Za Lun Pyi Taw Pyan Pagoda Festival (9th Waxing day of Tabaung)The time of the festival is in February and the exact date is 23. Many people visit the pagoda to pay obeisance to the amazing Buddha image, according to the history of the image. Within the period of the pagoda festival, it is very crowded together with several shops selling regional products, handicrafts, and moreover, observing the monasteries near the pagoda makes us pleasurable.
Baw Kyo Pagoda Festival (10th Waxing day of Tabaung)
Pindaya Pagoda Festival (11th Waxing day of Tabaung) - (15.3.2011)
Shwe Myat Mhan Pagoda Festival (Full moon Day of Tabaung) - (19.3.2011)
Bo-Bo-Gyi Nat Festival (28.3.2011) - (9th Waning day of Tabaung)One of the festivals in Myanmar tradition – we call it
“Bo-Bo-Gyi Nat Pwe” – is celebrated on the 9th after the
full-moon day of Tabaung, which is the last month in Burmese
calendar. Lasted from five to nine days generally, on the first
day nats are invited in accordance with the customs; on the
second celebration of campfire festivity is performed; on the
third day, by the leaders from the villages, nats are
worshipped; singing songs for nats is on the fourth; the fifth
day is to donate food, and so on. The festival is held in Ahlone,
Monywa and is usually visited by many people from different
places of Myanmar.
Pili Khat (Hindu Religious Festival) - (March & April)As the region, the village namely Pili Khat in Kyaut-Tan
township, like some other places in Myanmar, is firmly rooted by
the religion, Hinduism, in March and April annually, the Hindu
religious festival is held with a large amount of people. In the
festival, rather unlike Burmese tradition, the scenes of the
incredible traditions and customs of Hindu people are visible.
Very huge, as a major festival, in Myanmar, a variety of Hindu
cultured plays and operas, dance, music and dhamma songs can be
enjoyed.
Shwe Maw Daw Pagoda Festival (8th Waxing day of Tagu) – (11.4.2011)
Thingyan or Water Festival (April-13th to 16th)
Thanakha-grinding Event (13-4-2011) - (10th Waxing day of Tagu)
Myanmar New Year – New Year’s Day (14th Waxing Day of Tagu) - (17.4.2011)Almost all Buddhist people in Myanmar usually do new-year
rituals, donations and giving sanctuary of animals - in accord
with the belief – as good deeds for merits on the 17th of April,
Myanma New Year’s Day. Nearly all houses and streets, influenced
with the sounds of Dhamma, are full of donors and acceptors. In
many festivals –during that time - of giving sanctuary of
animals, such as birds, fish, cows and so on, many Buddhist
people appreciate performing a variety of good actions. Those
accomplishments and the essence can bestow the flavor of Myanma
New Year’s Day to the people of taking part in it.
23. Popa Festival (3rd Waxing day of Tagu)
Oo-Shin-Gyi Nat Pwe (7th Waxing day of Tagu)
Shitthaung Pahto Festival (Full moon Day of Kason)
Nyaung Yay Thun Pwe (Full moon Day of Kason)Nyaung Yay Thun Pwe, the festival of pouring water on the
sacred banyan tree, one of Burmese traditional rituals, is done
by the participation of many people at pagodas in Kasone during
summer. As the remembrance of the place of Buddha’s
enlightenment, Burmese people who accept the belief that pouring
on the sacred banyan tree at pagodas is good merit perform
taking part in the festival.
Pa-O Firework Festival (Full moon Day of Kasone)
Hindu Religious Festival (Full moon Day of Kasone)
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The festival is arranged in Bagan, the most famous ancient
city of Myanmar in the first era of the history of the country,
on January 1 of every year. The scene of the monks in a line
toward Ananda Pagoda gives us elation that is the essence of the
festival. Many beautifully decorated fancy bullock carts
carrying the people and the things for donation add the savor of
the festival and the tradition of Upper Myanmar. There, it is
very excellent for foreigners to view the real the traditions
and customs, the donation spirit of the people of Myanmar.
Annually on December 15th (Pyatho in Burmese Month) the
festival, the traditional festival of Naga people, is usually
celebrated in Kantee, Sagaing Division. For the people who want
to visit there to observe and enjoy the festival, they can see
the Naga people there with traditional dress interestingly and
some, too, dancing holding sabres and spears with full strength.
Moreover, while enjoying taking part in the Naga New Year
Festival together with them, the situation, cultures and customs
of the areas around Naga can be observed.
On every 21st of January, in Minbu Township of Magway
Division, a pagoda festival namely Shwe Set Taw in accord with
the name of the pagoda is held. It is to open the two stupas
built enclosing two foot prints of Buddha. To worship those two
foot prints, many people from different places of Myanmar visit
the pagoda, Shwe Set Taw, and there colorful cultures, customs
and traditions of Burmese people, while walking along the series
of shops in the Pagoda festival and seeing Myanmar Traditional
handicrafts and snacks, can be enjoyed. While jostling among the
vast crowd, visitors can obtain the pleasurable experience of
the beauty of the nature having streams and large forests.
At the pagoda namely Maha Myat Muni, one of the most famous
ones in Myanmar, in Mandalay, once Myanmar royal capital, on
30th January (in Ta-Po-Twe according to Myanmar traditional
calendar) the festival, which is alive with a teeming crowd from
many places of Myanmar, is usually held. As the remembrance of
the festival, we can buy Mandalay Traditional handicrafts as
presents. After visiting Maha Muni Buddha Image, which is very
eminent of being wonderful, visitors can go and see many
well-know sites such as Mandalay Royal Palace, Mandalay Hill and
so on.
Very well known across Myanmar, the festival is celebrated by
the people believed in Nat tradition (animism) in Yay -sa -Gyo
Pakhan, in Magway Division, on every 17th February. People from
all over Myanmar always come to the festival during that time.
Interesting wearing styles, spirit mediums dancing with the
special music played for Nats at the propitiation of Nats, Nat
statues as the same size as man, the amazing wisdom of Nat
beliefs make attractive figures for the people in Myanmar and
even foreigners.
On the twentieth of February annually, the new-year festival,
on Chin hill, is held in Min-Tat, which is in Chin State. The
natural and traditional beauty of Chin people as well as the
customs will be seen as a whole for visitors. Delighting in the
festival due to the beauty of the context, visitors can also
take part in the festival together with the Chin people. Of the
festival, many visitors, especially foreigners, who like to take
photos and documentary films, and observers have a common view
that they all like to enjoy in it that is very colorfull. 
We can participate in Baw Kyo Pagoda Festival, in Shan State,
in February especially on 24th. Not just the people from Shan
State but also the ones from the middle part of Myanmar take
part in that festival. To observe Shan tradition, custom and
culture, which are slightly different from the tradition of the
middle part of Myanmar, is quite good while celebrating in the
festival.
The festival is always held in Shan State on every 25th of
February. Pindaya is a cave which is wonderful with full of
pagodas inside it and beautifully decorated by the nature. The
weather and the nature of Shan State, the friendly smiles of the
people there make one’s mind fresh while going and seeing in the
festival.
In Pyay, people enjoy celebrating Shwe Myat Mhan Pagoda
Festival on March 1 annually. People of Buddhist can pay
obeisance and others can observe the Buddha image, only one
having spectacles, that is very wonderful in Myanmar. The
products of Pyay, the traditional handicrafts from various
places of Myanmar and the beautiful sight scenes of the city can
be experienced. 
This pagoda festival is held on 24th March every year. The
duration of the festival is about thirteen days, within the
compound of Shwe Maw Daw Pagoda, one of the most interesting
historical sites in Myanmar. It is very well-attended with the
people from Bago and other places. While staying in Bago, one
can enjoy not only the pagoda festival but also visiting the
great palace, Kanbawza Thardi, of King Bayint Nayung. 
All the people across Myanmar celebrate this festival very
happily. It is usually celebrated on every April 13, Tagoo La in
accordance with the Myanma traditional calendar and lasts three
or four days. People from various religious backgrounds can
participate in this festival and that is one of the most
prominent features of Thingyan. Thingyan dance, Thingyan songs
and decorated floats support the beauty of the festival. During
the time of Thingyan, the pagodas and monasteries around Myanmar
are full of people who are very keen to get merit from doing
good deeds of Buddhist religion. 
Mount Pope-Par, the oasis of the arid land in the middle part
of Myanmar, which is situated near Bagan, in Mandalay Division,
and the time of the festival is in April. It is, of course, a
very well-attended festival. The region is very famous with Nats,
Burmese traditional spiritual beings, and it, in the time of the
festival, is alive with special music for Nats.
In Wat-Kyun and Kyun-Nyo, which are in Bogalay, it is held on
the seventh day of the beginning of Kasone. The first day is
spent with the invitation of Oo-Shin-Gyi nat; on the second day
the people there make a dance of the legend of the nat; and on
the final day is sending the nat back. The nat pwe is
systematically arranged. People enjoy participating in this
event with the pleasant feeling of the beautiful sceneries of
Ayeyarwaddy Delta region. 
At Shitthaung Pahto in Mrauk-Oo, in Rakhine State, in April –
on the full moon day of Kasone – the pagoda festival is held by
the Rakhine people. The pagoda permeated with Rakhine cultures
has interesting architecture, slightly different from other
pagodas. One can enjoy and observe the Dhamma songs sung by
Rakhine girls and the traditional wrestling and also in the
boat-race participate happily.
Pa-O people, who live in Shan State, actively participate in
the firework festival, which is held on full moon day of Kason,
Kasone La in Burmese calendar. Fireworks created by putting
gunpowder in bamboo sticks are carried to the festival and while
assembling in the field, singing and dancing, the people there
launch them as celebrating. They all have a belief that it gets
the weather good and crops increased and take part in the
celebration while observing the traditions and customs of Pa-O
people.
Taung Pyone nat festival is one the greatest for the people
who believe in nats among the festivals in Myanmar. The festival
is usually held in central Myanmar, Mandalay division, on the
10th of Wah-khaung. It is a wonderful festival that people carry
out worshipping and praying to the two nat-kings – which we
call, in Burmese, Taung-pyone-min.
From the first of Thi-din-kyut till 18th, people from all
over Myanmar join in the celebration of the festival in Inn-lay
lake, which is beautiful with natural resources and the only
place the leg-rowing can be seen. Including boat races, which
add as a beauty to the festival, it is very interesting for the
reason that the Buddha images are taken by carrying on the raft,
decorated with the shape of a Burmese mythical bird, which is
traditionally rowed by leg. The festival is the most famous in
Inn-lay region and the vista of Inn-lay attracts all the
visitors together with the pleasant climate condition.
For the remembrance of Boe-Min-Khaung, the one famous of
having magical power, the festival is celebrated in Mount Popa,
a site for ecotourism in Myanmar. The festival is eminent and
alive with the teeming crowd as many people from different parts
of the country come to it.
Usually held in Nyaung Oo, the festival is interesting of the
crowd, walking around the pagoda, lighting oil-lamps and
candles, with the strong belief of Burmese Buddhist tradition.
On the day before the last day of the event, donating food to
monks is as usual annually. Also, the circles of bullock-carts,
the tradition and customs of the villages in central Myanmar
surely fascinates all visitors who are at the festival willing
to observe and take part in it. 
It is, actively joined by almost all people around Myanmar,
obvious as a festival of lighting lamps. A creed has it that in
Buddhist history Buddha had stayed in Ta-wa-tain-thar Nat Pyi,
the place of devas in accord with Buddhist people’s belief, for
three months, with the purpose to give sermons to the devas
there, and after that He returned to earth on the full-moon day
of Thi-din-kyut. Buddhists take that event as a remembrance and
they, consequently, celebrate the welcome ceremony of
coming-back Buddha with lighting lamps. Doing, in addition, good
deeds for merits and paying obeisance to elder people by the
younger are also performed, during the days of the event, as the
firm convention functions in Buddhists’ mind. The vista is
incredible of lighting candles, oil lamps and lanterns made of
paper at nearly every house and place, also with the beauty of
the moon and the fireworks, filling to become more gorgeous.
It is a well-known celebration, usually held, on 14th of
Thi-din-gyut, the day before the full-moon day, in Kyaut-Se`
which is situated in Mandalay division. Though it is called, in
Myanmar, elephants’ dance festival, it is not actually performed
by elephants, but by men who stay inside elephant statues, made
of clothes. Seeing and feeling the dance of elephants, amongst
Myanmar traditional orchestras and the sound of open-ended drums
with a long body, the festival is eminent, around Myanmar, among
Myanmar people and even a fascination for foreigners who will
surely have an interest in it by the time of observing it.
The full-moon day of Thi-din-gyut is, for the people in
Pathein, the capital of Ayeyarwaddy division, the time of
enjoying the event of lighting oil lamps as a welcoming ceremony
of the remembrance of Buddha, in accordance with the Buddhist
belief, who came from Ta-wa-tain-thar, the place of devas, which
we call nat, on this day. Using the pictures of steps to express
the way He came back to earth from the devas’ place, the people
there create a beautiful night by paying obeisance to the
coming-back Buddha with a lot of oil lamps as well as various
colors of electric bulbs. 
Only in Saw city, in Magway division, on every full moon day
of Thi-din-ut in accordance with Burmese calendar, the festival
is held by the people who are very interested in Tha-nat-khar,
Burmese traditional makeup worn on cheeks, and it can grasp the
interest of visitors. All the streets, monasteries and pagodas
are illuminated with oil lamps and the festival is so alive with
a very large crowd. During the time of the festival, people who
visit it can experience the exude fragrance of Tha-nat-khar.
Launching hot air balloons to the sky makes the people very
happy in that festival, the famous and prominent one held in
Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State, in November annually. The
nights of the festival are bright with luminous balloons, rising
up to the sky, and it is good to gaze for visitors. Sparklers
linked with the balloons also fill the essence of the festival.
The participation of visitors can become active in the mist of
winter. 
Overnight, on 14th of Ta-saung-mone in Burmese traditional
calendar, at Shwedagon, Batataung, Kyaik-ka-san and some other
famous pagodas in Yangon, the competition occurs as people
celebrate with the purpose to donate robes resulted from it to
the Buddha images there, as a lovely custom. In the contest,
audiences in groups, many offering food and drink, as well as
the beauty of the night scene of the pagodas which are luminous
fascinate all visitors, even foreigners, to become amazed.
Offering reward, as it is a sort of struggle, is to the group
which is the first finished weaving the robe, and before dawn
donating those robes - from the competition – to the Buddha
images is performed. Among them, the contest at Shwedagon
pagoda, which is assumed as the significant icon of the country,
is the most famous of all. After donation, at dawn, the whole
competition is finished on the full-moon day of the month.
In Hindu term, it is named as bathing in Ganges River, one of
the most important rivers in India, but the ceremony, in
Myanmar, is celebrated using the rivers, Ayeyawaddy and
Sittaung.
Usually celebrated on the full moon day of Ta-zaung-mone in
Burmese calendar, the festival is alive with well-attended crowd
and all the people during the festival are seen donating such as
open oil lamp, food and so on. Many other people from the
villages nearby and decorated bullock carts in a line can also
be visible and such scenes offer the flavor of pleasure to the
visitors.
