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A FESTIVAL LOVER’SGUIDE TO MYANMAR1

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KACHIN MANAWFESTIVAL(NEW YEARFESTIVAL)- EARLY JANUARY -The New Year celebration of theKachin people. It is a joint festivityof the new year, battle victories,the ethnic groups’ reunion, and along-standing tradition. Manawpoles are erected, and men andwomen dance around them. Thisfestival is one of the mostdelightful and popular festivals inMyanmar.1ANANDAPAGODAFESTIVAL(BAGAN)- MID JANUARYYou can witness the Buddhist ritualsand ceremonies of social gatherings.It is also the best occasion to enjoylocal home-cooked food. So, be apart of the festivals of Myanmar toknow of their culture and relish thelocal cuisine.2KOGYIKYAWSPIRITFESTIVAL- FEBRUARYThis festival takes place in MagweDivision for 8 days. Ko Gyi KyawNat is a happy and joyous spiritwho loves to drink and gamble.Nat worshippers who also worshipKo Gyi Kyaw Nat would provideofferings like food, drinks andmoney. Locals who are celebratingthe spirit also drink alcoholicbeverages and eat the spirit’sfavourite delicacies.3

HTAMANEFESTIVAL(ON THE DAY OFTHE FULL MOON)- FEBRUARY Also known as the Glutinous RiceFestival, Htamane is celebrated throughout the country inFebruary. People of Myanmarcelebrate the Htamane Festivalby cooking glutinous rice togetherand participate in a competitionto see who can make the bestglutinous rice. Besides enjoyingthe demonstrations and cookingcompetitions involving the locals,tourists can sit together withthem, enjoy the glutinous rice andexchange small talk.KYAIKKHAUKPAGODAFESTIVAL(FROM 8TH WAXING TO FULL MOONDAY OF TABODWE)- FEBRUARY Held at the Kyaikkhauk Pagodaevery February in Yangon for8 days, this festival includes ahuge fair set up by the locals.Merchants sell many traditionalitems that can only be found inMyanmar such as handicrafts, silkproducts and lacquerware. Themerchants come in with big cartscarrying the items to be sold at thefestival, creating a buzz of excitement as tourists visit to purchasesouvenirs.4

MAHAMUNI PAGODA FESTIVAL(MANDALAY)- FEBRUARY The Mahamuni Pagoda Festival is largely celebrated by the people of Mandalay. Locals gather in front of the Mahamuni Buddha image to pray and paytheir respects. It is celebrated for 2 days around the full-moon day.The image of Buddha, enshrined inside Mahamuni Pagoda, is believed to havebeen made in front of Buddha himself. Hence, it holds a special place in thehearts of the local people.PANGUNIUTHIRAMFESTIVAL- MARCH & APRIL -Celebrated by the Hindu community, this is considered a major festival forHindus in Myanmar. Tourists can witness the highlight of the festival – theintriguing fire-walking ceremony that involves devotees walking on hot coal.Attendees would then soak their feet in goat’s milk and rub turmeric on theirfeet. It is believed that walking on hot coal represents self-sacrifice that wouldward off evil and will reward the attendee with good fortune. This festivalis one of the few traditional celebrations in the developing city of Yangon,which makes it even more unique as it instills ancient traditions into the urbanlifestyle of people living in the city.35

SHWEDAGONPAGODAFESTIVAL- MARCH This festival is a religious ritualthat involves locals recitingprayers with the monks at thefamous golden stupa shrine thatis rumored to contain strandsof hair of Lord Buddha. Pilgrimsmove clockwise around thestupa as an ancient traditionbelieved to grant great meritsto those who do so. Locals anddevotees would weave holyrobes for the Buddha imagesusing traditional looms, andflames surround the pagodaalong with lit incense sticks andcandles.4SHWE SARYAN PAGODAFESTIVAL- MARCH The harvest festival is largelycelebrated with a combinationof activities such as social gatherings, religious ceremonies andcountry fairs. Farmers bring theircarts carrying harvest and localgoods to sell to other locals andtourists. Tourists flock the area toexperience the authentic lifestyleof locals who walk around the fairto bargain and purchase goodsfrom vendors. There are alsowoven toys made of dried palmfronds that the locals make aspart of the harvest celebration.6

PINDAYA SHWEOO MINFESTIVAL- MARCH Clans in Pindaya celebrate theharvest festival every year in Pindaya, Shan State. Farmers wouldreap their harvest and sell themto donate their earnings to thepagoda and the monks. The localshave an ancient merit-makingpractice of filling stone surfaceswith indentions of the Buddha image. The villagers will join togetherin cooking a feast and campingunder banyan trees.ZALUN PYI TAW PYANPAGODA FESTIVAL- MARCH This festival is held in a small town, Zalun, near the AyeyarwadyRiver to commemorate the statue that returned from abroad. Itdates back to the time when Myanmar was under British rule; theBuddha image was once taken to England and its bronze materialwas intended to be melted for other purposes. However, the statuewas indestructible. At the same time, the Queen suffered fromsickness and ordered the image to be returned. The locals havesince celebrated the return of the Buddha image.THINGYANFESTIVAL(NATIONWIDE)5- APRIL The Thingyan festival marksthe onset of a new year for theMyanmar people. People get onstages erected on the streets anddrench each other in water. Peoplesplash water through pipes fromjeeps and trucks, and childrenplay with little water pistols. Themonks and elderly are sparedthough. This festival symbolisesthe cleansing of the past sins, andcaptive birds and fishes are alsofreed during this festival.7

SALONEFESTIVAL- END OF APRIL This festival marks the time whenthe Salone people, also called thesea gypsies, leave the sea to avoidthe monsoon season by seekingshelter on the islands of the archipelago. As these fishermen and diversspend most of their time at sea, thisfestival is a rare period of time whenthey perform agricultural practiceson land. The sea gypsies spend afew days inviting nearby villages tojoin them in their land ceremonies.Culture enthusiasts would love tosee them conduct ancient ritualsinvolving shamanism, animal sacrifices and dances to ward off evil.KASON FESTIVAL(WESAK DAY EQUIVALENT)6- MAY Kason festival is celebrated to announce theauspicious enlightenment of Buddha. You canjoin in the processions followed by the localsand pour water on the sacred Bodhi tree or takeriver cruises around for watching the festivities.You can also pour scented water in the pagoda.This is one of the most exciting festivals inMyanmar.PAKOKKUTHIHO SHINPAGODA FESTIVAL(MAGWAY)- JUNE Locals celebrate Pakokku Thiho ShinPagoda Festival in Magway by bringing inbull carts and selling all kinds of goods andproduce. The money earned is donatedto the pagoda and monks at the temples.Some generous souls will even buy riceand nutritious food for the monks. Youcan purchase items from the vendors toexperience the authentic local life.8

7WARSO CHINLONE FESTIVAL- JULY This is the largest traditionalsporting event in Myanmar that iscelebrated at the Mahamuni Pagodacompound, where locals meet upand compete in this non-contactsport. Each player passes thechinlone (cane ball) without lettingit touch the ground. Through thisgame, players showcase impressiveacrobatic moves that include backflips, spinning kicks and handstandsin the effort to keep the ball fromfalling.WASO FULL MOON FESTIVAL(NATIONWIDE)- JULY Waso Full Moon Festival is celebrated in July, where monks hold a retreat toteach sermons and meditate. A sacred festival highly respected by the locals,Buddhists all over the country donate robes to the monks.The festival is celebrated to honour the three turning points of SiddharthaGautama’s life to become Lord Buddha – his conception, departure from theluxurious life of a prince to become a wanderer, and lastly, his first sermon tohis pupils.YADANA GUSPIRIT FESTIVAL(AMARAPURA)- AUGUST People in the town of Amarapuracelebrate Yadana Gu Spirit Festival,a spirit-worshipping occasion thatinvolves mediums dancing andgetting possessed by Nats, or spirits.In this festival, locals also celebratethe Goddess of Popa, or morecommonly known as the protectorof women.9

TAUNG PYONESPIRIT FESTIVAL8- AUGUST It is said that the village is theexecution site of two brothers whoonce served a Bagan King in the11th century. The brothers thenbecame powerful Nat spirits thatare worshipped by the locals untilthis day. People offer food likegrilled rabbit and fried chicken aswell as alcohol to the spirit brothers in order to make them happy,and spirit mediums allow themselves to be possessed by dancingand singing ritualistic songs.PHAUNG DAW OO PAGODA FESTIVAL(INLE LAKE, SHAN STATE)- SEPTEMBER During this festival, locals pay respects to 5 Buddha images that are wrappedin thick gold layers. The one-legged boat race is the main attraction during thisfestival. People gather at Inle Lake in September to celebrate this festival, andit is considered the largest Buddhist celebration on Inle Lake.Tourists and pilgrims come to this pagoda to see the Buddha images thatare enshrined in it. The images are covered with so many layers of gold leafthat the actual features could no longer be recognised. Attendees pay tributeto the Buddha images by placing offerings on the pagoda and providingdonations to monks nearby. There are rituals involving attendees dancing andsinging. Tourists also get to enjoy the unique one-legged boat race that canonly be seen in Myanmar.THADINGYUTFESTIVAL- OCTOBER The festival of lightscommemorates the onset ofwinter and symbolises the returnof Buddha from paradise to themortal land. You can enjoy thesight of lights everywhere or createyour own and offer it in one ofthe pagodas. The most famoushighlight of this festival is theuncountable number of lanterns orlights that one can spot in the skyof Myanmar at night.10

TAUNGGYIBALLOONFESTIVAL(BAGAN)- OCTOBER The balloon festival is celebratedevery year after the rainy season.Candle-lit paper balloons coverthe skies. These are believed todrive away all the evil spirits andinvite positivity and happiness tothe lands. The festival is cited asone of the most beautiful sights atnight in Myanmar.9HOT AIRBALLOONFESTIVAL10- NOVEMBER This festival, also known asTazaungdaing Full Moon Festival,is held in Shan State. Peoplecrowd Taunggyi to witness themagnificent view of the hotair balloons in the sky. Duringthe day, the balloons flown arepagoda-themed whereas at night,visitors get to see animal-shapedballoons. Besides hot air balloons,locals light candles and fireworksas a part of the celebration.11

11KYAIKHTIYOPAGODAFESTIVAL- DECEMBER People of Mon celebrate thelight festival at KyaikhtiyoPagoda in December. Duringthis festival, the pagoda isdecorated with 9,000 candlesand 9,000 flowers given by thelocals. The candles light up thepagoda, offering a beautifulsight to the locals and tourists.The following morning of thefestival involves the offering ofrice, sweets and other items.MAGWAY MYATHALON PAGODAFESTIVAL(MAGWAY)Magway Mya Thalon Pagoda Festival is celebrated by the people ofMagway to welcome the New Year. During the festival, 9,000 oil lampsare offered to the pagoda, resulting in a very brightly lit pagoda atnight. The locals also donate food to the monks who have prayed andconducted religious rituals.- DECEMBER -12

Myanmar. ANANDA PAGODA FESTIVAL (BAGAN) - MID JANUARY-You can witness the Buddhist rituals and ceremonies of social gatherings. It is also the best occasion to enjoy local home-cooked food. So, be a part of the festivals of Myanmar to know of their culture and relish the local cuisine. KOGYIKYAW SPIRIT FESTIVAL - FEBRUARY-